Ladakh violence: Government blames Wangchuk for provoking mob; says police fired in self-defence | India News

NEW DELHI: The Union government on Wednesday said activist Sonam Wangchuk was responsible for the ongoing violence in Ladakh. “It is clear that mob violence in Ladakh was guided by activist Sonam Wangchuk through his provocative statements,” the government said in a statement quoted by PTI.The statement came after Wangchuk defended Congress against Amit Malviya’s charge that the party was behind the violence in Ladakh. Wangchuk said, “Congress doesn’t have that kind of influence here to get 5,000 youth out on the roads. Yesterday, a Congress councillor went to a hospital in anger because two people from his village were brought there injured.”In a post on X, BJP IT Cell head Amit Malviya asked whether Congress leader Rahul Gandhi wanted this kind of unrest in Ladakh. “This man rioting in Ladakh is Phuntsog Stanzin Tsepag, Congress Councillor for Upper Leh Ward. He can be clearly seen instigating the mob and participating in violence that targeted the BJP office and the Hill Council. Is this the kind of unrest Rahul Gandhi has been fantasising about?” Malviya said while sharing the photos and videos of Congress councillor.

Ladakh lieutenant governor Kavinder Gupta also alleged conspiracy behind the statehood protest in Leh turning violent, claiming people were being incited by drawing parallels with the youth-led movements in Bangladesh and Nepal that toppled governments there.Wangchuk called off his 15-day hunger strike on Wednesday after the demonstrations demanding statehood for Ladakh turned violent.Protest in the Union Territory is gathering pace demanding statehood and Sixth Schedule status for Ladakh which was carved out from Jammu and Kashmir in 2019. At least four people died and 20 injured after the demonstrations turned deadly.