Renowned climate activist Sonam Wangchuk has been shifted to the Jodhpur Jail in Rajasthan following his detention two days after the violent protests in Ladakh that saw the killing of four people and injuries to dozens more.
Wangchuk was taken into custody by the police and later shifted to the jail in Rajasthan’s Jodhpur.
While there has been no word on the charges outlined against Wangchuk, sources told reporters that the administration has pressed the National Security Act (NSA), which has been invoked against the climate activist.
The Union Territory (UT) administration has also snapped mobile internet services in the Leh area as part of a precautionary measure.
Wangchuk, a leading voice for the Ladakhi population, has been spearheading the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) campaign for the past five years, demanding statehood, constitutional safeguards, and job reservations.
The BJP-led Centre has blamed the climate activist for inciting the recent violence in Leh, allegations Wangchuk has denied.
Wangchuk said, “To say it was instigated by me is to find a scapegoat rather than addressing the core of the problem, and this will lead us nowhere.”
“What happened on Wednesday was pure frustration expressed by the youngsters,” he added.
The arrest came a day after the Union home ministry cancelled the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) licence of the Students’ Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh (SECMOL), an organisation founded by Wangchuk, citing alleged financial discrepancies and a fund transfer deemed to be against the ‘national interest’.
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