NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has accused Congress councillor Phuntsog Stanzin Tsepag of inciting violence during recent protests in Ladakh. This claim was met with a denial from activist Sonam Wangchuk. Amit Malviya, head of the BJP’s IT Cell, posted on X (formerly Twitter), questioning whether Congress leader Rahul Gandhi condoned the unrest in the region.
Malviya shared photographs and videos purportedly showing Tsepag inciting a mob and participating in violence that targeted the BJP office and the Hill Council. “Is this the kind of unrest Rahul Gandhi has been fantasizing about?” he asked.
The protests, which occurred on September 24, erupted over demands for statehood and the inclusion of Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution. The demonstrations turned violent, leading to the arson of BJP offices and vehicles, with hundreds of individuals taking to the streets.
In response, Wangchuk defended Tsepag, asserting that Congress lacks significant influence in Ladakh. He noted that a Congress councillor had visited a hospital after two villagers were brought in injured. “Congress doesn’t have such influence here that it can manage to get 5,000 youth on the roads,” Wangchuk stated.
The Ladakh Apex Body’s (LAB) youth wing organized a protest after two of 15 activists engaged in a hunger strike since September 10 required hospitalization due to deteriorating health. The protests are part of a long-standing demand for the Sixth Schedule, which currently provides special governance powers to tribal populations in states like Tripura, Meghalaya, Mizoram, and Assam.
Further discussions between the Union Home Ministry and Ladakh representatives, including those from the LAB and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), are scheduled for October 6.
Meanwhile, Wangchuk, who had been on a 15-day hunger strike, announced the termination of his strike via a video message, expressing his disappointment over the violence in Leh and urging for peace. He stated, “I am sad to inform you that there was vandalism in Leh during a protest. Many offices and police vehicles were vandalized and burned.” He labeled the unrest as a “Gen-Z revolution,” but cautioned that such actions could harm their cause, calling for an end to the violence.
