SRINAGAR: Curfew remained in force for the fourth consecutive day in Leh town on Saturday as police and paramilitary forces intensified patrolling and checks following the detention of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk under the National Security Act (NSA) on Friday, officials said, as reported by Daily Excelsior.
The Lt Governor-led administration justified Wangchuk’s detention, citing his alleged provocative speeches referencing the Nepal agitation and the Arab Spring, which it said triggered Wednesday’s violent protests that left four people dead and scores injured.
In a statement late Friday, the administration said Wangchuk’s detention was “important to restore normalcy” in Leh and to prevent him from acting further in ways “prejudicial to maintenance of public order.” Authorities added that no untoward incidents were reported in Ladakh during the past 24 hours.
Lt Governor Kavinder Gupta is scheduled to chair a high-level security review at Raj Bhavan, and any decision on easing the curfew will follow the meeting, officials said. Meanwhile, police and paramilitary forces have stepped up patrols in sensitive areas, while raids continue to apprehend absconding rioters, including a councillor accused of instigating the violence.
More than 50 people have been detained since the clashes, and strict prohibitory orders banning gatherings of five or more remain in place in other major towns of the Union Territory, including Kargil.
The Directorate of Information and Public Relations (DIPR), Ladakh, said Wangchuk had “repeatedly indulged in activities prejudicial to the security of the state and detrimental to maintenance of peace and public order.” Despite offers of dialogue with the High-Powered Committee (HPC), Wangchuk continued his hunger strike in Leh from 10 September, the statement said.
The administration said his speeches, along with circulating videos, “resulted in violent protests of 24 September, where institutions, buildings, and vehicles were set ablaze, and police personnel were attacked, leading to the unfortunate death of four individuals.”
The statement added that the unrest could have been avoided if Wangchuk had ended his hunger strike when dialogue with the government resumed. For public safety, the administration decided to transfer him to Jodhpur prison in Rajasthan.
Authorities stressed that the curfew and continued enforcement measures were aimed at restoring law and order in the town and preventing further escalation.
