Leh violence: Strict curfew clamped after clashes, 50 people detained

A strict curfew has been implemented in Leh which saw violent protests and clashes with authorities on Wednesday (September 24).

Moreover, at least 50 people have been detained in the region a day after the central government said the situation was under control and climate activist Sonam Wangchuk called off his hunger strike held to demand for statehood and the extension of the Sixth Schedule to the Union Territory (UT) of Ladakh.

Four people lost their lives while 80 others were injured as serious clashes took place between the protesters and law-keepers, besides arson, which included setting the office of the Hill Council and the Bharatiya Janata Party's headquarters on fire. The death toll could go up as the conditions of some of the injured are said to be critical.

Also read: Ladakh violence: 4 dead, 80 injured; Sonam Wangchuk calls off strike

A shutdown called by the Leh Apex Body (LAB) — to advance talks with New Delhi on the statehood and demand for extension of Sixth Schedule — had descended into violence, arson and street clashes on Wednesday (September 24).

Strict prohibitory restrictions, banning assembly of five or more people, have been placed in other major towns as well, including Kargil, where a shutdown was called by the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) in support of Wangchuk, who was pained by the violence and urged the protesters to remain peaceful.

He called off his fortnight-long strike after intense clashes erupted in Leh, leading to serious loss of public property and deaths. The situation prompted the authorities to promulgate an indefinite curfew. In an online press conference, the activist said the fact that two of the protesters — Tsering Angchuk (72) and Tashi Dolma (60) — were hospitalised was most likely the immediate trigger for the protest.

Foreign hand

“The situation in the curfew-bound areas is well under control. There are no untoward incidents reported from anywhere,” a police officer was quoted as saying by PTI.

He confirmed that around 50 people were detained overnight for participating in the violence.

Also read: What led to Leh protests and subsequent violence? | Capital Beat

The police officer also said three among the injured are citizens of Nepal, where similar violence spread out earlier in September, and the police were probing if there were foreign hands involved in the destruction caused in Ladakh.

The LAB and KDA have been spearheading an agitation in the last four years pressing for their demands on statehood and extension of the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution. They have held several rounds of talks with the central government in the past.

The next round of talks is scheduled for October 6.

Officials said heavy deployment of police and paramilitary personnel in riot gear was made in Kargil, Zanskar, Nubra, Padam, Changtang, Drass and Lamayuru.

Prohibitory orders

Kargil district magistrate Rakesh Kumar issued prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita in the entire district, banning assembly of five or more people, taking out processions or holding demonstrations without prior written permission of the competent authority.

Also read: Four years of protests and Centre’s apathy: Why Ladakh exploded

Restrictions were also imposed on the use of loudspeakers, sound-amplifying devices, or vehicle-mounted public address systems without authorisation.

Besides, no person shall make any public statement, speech, or declaration — whether verbal, written, or through electronic means — which is likely to disturb public peace, provoke enmity, or cause a breach of law and order in the district, the official order said.

Trouble began brewing in Leh when two out of 15 people, who were on a 35-day hunger strike since September 10, were shifted to the hospital after their condition deteriorated on Tuesday evening, and the LAB youth wing gave a call for a protest.

Also read: Wangchuk appeals for 'peace' as Gen-Z protest turns violent; says 'damages our cause'

The Centre alleged the mob violence was instigated by “provocative statements” made by Wangchuk. It said certain “politically motivated” individuals were not happy with the progress made in the ongoing talks between the representatives of the government and Ladakhi groups.

BJP blames Congress

The BJP also blamed local Congress leader and councillor Phuntsog Stanzin Tsepag, saying he instigated the violence. He was booked for allegedly making a provocative speech at the hunger strike venue on Tuesday (September 23).

“Today in Ladakh, an attempt was made to portray some protests as being led by 'Gen Z' but when an investigation was carried out, it was found that this was not a Gen Z protest but actually a Congress protest,” BJP MP and national spokesperson Sambit Patra told reporters in Delhi.

Also read: Omar Abdullah reacts to Ladakh protests, says J&K feels betrayed over statehood

Amit Malviya, in charge of the BJP's national information and technology department, also targeted a number of Congress leaders from Ladakh region, blaming them for the violence. They included, besides Tsepag, Deldan Namgyal, a former Congress MLA from Nobra, and Smanla Dorjey Norbu, a Congress councillor from Saspol.

The BJP said the Congress had a nefarious design to create situations in the country similar to those in Bangladesh, Nepal and the Philippines, and the violence in Ladakh was a part of it.

Also read: Ladakh statehood: Sonam Wangchuk begins 35-day fast in Leh

Ladakh Lieutenant-Governor Kavinder Gupta called the events heart-wrenching and said that while everyone has the right to express themselves peacefully in a democracy, what happened in the UT was not spontaneous and had a conspiracy behind it.

Ladakh was previously a part of the erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir state. On August 5, 2019, the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance government at the Centre revoked Jammu and Kashmir's statehood and turned it into a UT.

Ladakh was also carved out as a separate UT.

(With Agency inputs)