LEH: The Leh district of Ladakh witnessed violent protests on Wednesday morning after the health condition of two individuals supporting educationist Sonam Wangchuk’s ongoing hunger strike deteriorated.
Wangchuk, who is on the 35th day of his hunger strike, has been demanding statehood for Ladakh and its inclusion under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.
In response, youth from across Leh took to the streets, accusing the Central Government of denying Ladakh its democratic rights. The protest soon escalated when demonstrators attempted to storm the office of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Leh.
Police prevented their entry, triggering clashes. Protesters resorted to stone-pelting at the premises and security personnel, while several vehicles were torched. Security forces responded with tear gas and baton charges to disperse the crowd.
The Central Government has been holding talks with Ladakh’s key representative bodies—the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA)—for nearly three years over the region’s long-standing demands for statehood and constitutional safeguards.
In solidarity with the protests, the KDA has called for a complete shutdown on Thursday. As of the time of filing this report, the situation in Leh remained tense, with heavy police deployment across both Leh and Kargil districts.
