Violence in Ladakh, BJP office set on fire: Protesters demanding statehood set CRPF vehicle on fire;
Violent protests erupted in Leh on Wednesday demanding full statehood for the Union Territory of Ladakh. Students clashed with police and security forces. They set fire to a BJP office, pelted stones at police, and set a CRPF vehicle on fire. Meanwhile, the administration has banned unauthorized rallies and demonstrations in Leh.
These students are protesting in support of social activist Sonam Wangchuk, who has been on a hunger strike for the past 15 days. The protesters had called for a shutdown today to protest the unfulfilled demands, which is when the violence erupted.
Following the violence, Wangchuk broke his fast, saying,
This is a sad day for Ladakh. We have been walking on the path of peace for five years. We fasted, walked from Leh to Delhi. Today, we are seeing the message of peace fail. There is violence, firing, and arson. I appeal to the young generation of Ladakh to stop this foolishness. We are breaking our fast and stopping the protests.
The next meeting regarding these demands will be held in Delhi on October 6th. Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh were created as two Union Territories in 2019 when Articles 370 and 35A were revoked. The government had promised to restore full statehood once the situation in the state returned to normal.
Mobility Gathered Through Social Media: Protesters called for a Ladakh shutdown on Tuesday night, September 24th. Social media was used to mobilize crowds, urging people to reach the Leh Hill Council. This had an impact, and a large number of people arrived.
Police-Protester Clash: Barricades were erected in front of the Leh Hill Council to stop the protesters. When the protesters advanced, the police fired tear gas, but the crowd burned and vandalized a police vehicle.