LEH: Ladakh Police on Friday arrested noted education reformer and activist Sonam Wangchuk and invoked the stringent National Security Act (NSA) against him, two days after Ladakh witnessed its worst violence in decades over demands for statehood and constitutional safeguards under the Sixth Schedule.
According to officials, Wangchuk was detained at around 2:30 pm by a team led by Ladakh DGP S. D. Singh Jamwal, shortly before he was scheduled to address a press conference in Leh. He has since been moved out of Ladakh.
Following his arrest, mobile internet services were suspended in Leh as a precautionary measure.
On Thursday, the Union Home Ministry cancelled the FCRA licence of Wangchuk’s NGO, SECMOL (Students’ Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh), citing alleged violations, including diversion of foreign funds and undeclared bank accounts. Sources also claimed that the Himalayan Institute of Alternatives Ladakh (HIAL), founded by Wangchuk, had received foreign remittances without mandatory registration.
The Ministry attributed Wednesday’s mob violence in Leh to Wangchuk’s “provocative speeches,” in which he allegedly drew parallels with Arab Spring–style uprisings and youth protests in Nepal. Wangchuk, however, has denied the charges, stating that the government is attempting to build a case to silence him.
The arrest has drawn sharp reactions from opposition leaders. Former J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah termed the move “unfortunate,” accusing the Centre of failing to deliver on promises made to Ladakh. Meanwhile, local administration has imposed curfew, shut educational institutions, and deployed additional forces to maintain law and order.
The CBI has been tasked with probing alleged financial irregularities, while the Income Tax Department is also investigating Wangchuk’s personal and institutional accounts.
A high-level team from the Ministry of Home Affairs has reached Leh to assess the ground situation.
