Indian police have arrested prominent Ladakh activist Sonam Wangchuk, days after authorities accused him of fuelling violent demonstrations that left four people dead and dozens injured.
Officials confirmed that Wangchuk was detained on Friday before a news briefing he was scheduled to hold.
The Himalayan territory’s main city, Leh, was hit by unrest on Wednesday by violent Gen Z-led protests as youth torched the regional office of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Police vehicles were also set alight as demonstrators dispersed from a site where Wangchuk had staged a 14-day hunger strike.
Police responded with live fire, claiming they acted in self-defence. They also imposed a curfew in several districts and shut down mobile internet in Leh as tensions continued.
Ladakh, home to both Buddhist and Muslim communities, has faced political uncertainty since 2019, when Modi’s government stripped the region of autonomy by separating it from Jammu and Kashmir and placing it under federal control.
Protesters are demanding statehood, constitutional protections for Indigenous communities, and reserved jobs for locals. Talks between Ladakhi leaders and the government have been continuing since last year, with the next round set for October 6.
As protesters clashed with the police in Leh, the regional capital, at least four of them were killed and dozens were injured, protest coordinators told Al Jazeera, following additional deployment of the armed forces.
India’s interior ministry earlier accused Wangchuk of provoking crowds with his speeches and revoked the licence of his nongovernmental organisation, the Students’ Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh, citing alleged violations. Wangchuk, who ended his hunger strike after the clashes, denied the accusations and said the violence reflected local anger towards New Delhi.
For the past six years, thousands of people in Ladakh, led by local civic bodies, have launched peaceful marches and gone on hunger strikes to demand greater constitutional safeguards and statehood from India. They also want the power to elect a local government.
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