Leh/New Delhi: The Union government has blamed activist Sonam Wangchuk for the violent clashes that erupted in Ladakh on September 24, resulting in four deaths and injuring around seventy people. According to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Wangchuk continued his hunger strike despite repeated requests from several leaders to call it off. The ministry said that he misled the people through provocative mentions of Arab Spring-style protests and references to Gen-Z protests in Nepal.
“A mob motivated by his provocative speeches left the venue of the hunger strike and attacked a political party office as well as the government office of the CEC Leh. It is clear that the mob was guided by Sonam Wangchuk through his provocative statements,” the MHA said in a statement.
Press Release on Ladakh
A hunger strike was started by Sh Sonam Wangchuk on 10-09-2025 stating the demand of 6th schedule and statehood for Ladakh. It is well known that Government of India has been actively engaged with Apex Body Leh and Kargil Democratic Alliance on…
— PIB – Ministry of Home Affairs (@PIBHomeAffairs) September 24, 2025
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Government sources added that the unrest in Ladakh did not occur spontaneously but was “deliberately orchestrated”. They described the situation as a result of “narrow political maneuvering” by certain individuals, combined with Wangchuk’s “personal ambitions”. “The young people of Ladakh are not to be blamed as they were misled and caught in a sinister plot for political and personal gain,” a government source said, emphasising that the Centre remained committed to the welfare and empowerment of the people of the Union Territory (UT).
Deputy Commissioner Leh reported that as protesters demanding statehood for the UT clashed violently with the police, a section of the crowd set fire to the hall of the Ladakh Hill Council Assembly. Security personnel were subjected to stone-throwing by the mob, and 50 members of the security forces were injured in the violence.
Wangchuk decided to end his fortnight-long hunger strike, during which he had demanded statehood for Ladakh and the extension of the Sixth Schedule under the Constitution. The Centre had already scheduled a meeting of a high-powered committee for October 6 to discuss issues raised by the Apex Body Leh (ABL) and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA).
New members of the committee had been agreed upon as proposed by the ABL. Government sources said that earlier requests to advance the meetings to September 25-26 had been considered, highlighting that the Centre had always been ready to engage in dialogue.
A government source questioned why violence had been provoked in a peaceful area when discussions and talks were already lined up. The source alleged that Wangchuk had long hinted at wanting Arab Spring-style protests in Ladakh and appeared to use the platform to serve personal interests. References to the Gen Z protests in Nepal, according to government sources, seemed like a blueprint to incite unrest.
The MHA further highlighted that the process of dialogue through the high-powered committee had already delivered significant outcomes. Reservations for Ladakh’s Scheduled Tribes had increased from 45 percent to 84 percent. One-third of council seats were now reserved for women, and Bhoti and Purgi had been declared official languages. Recruitment processes for 1,800 posts had also commenced.
“However, certain politically motivated individuals who were not happy with the progress made under the HPC have been trying to sabotage the dialogue process,” the ministry said.
Sources also alleged that Congress leaders had made statements that appeared to function as instructions for violence, including throwing stones, calling bandhs and setting fires.
The government described the entire episode as part of a conspiracy motivated by both political and personal gains.
Lieutenant Governor Kavinder Gupta said that during the violence, a mob had attempted to “burn CRPF men inside a vehicle”, referring to the Central Reserve Police Force. He also confirmed that the local BJP office had been set on fire.
Wangchuk responded online as the situation worsened. He asked the youth of Ladakh to stop the violence immediately, emphasising that it was harmful to their cause and would further deteriorate the situation. “We do not want instability in Ladakh and the country,” he stated.
He described the day as “the saddest day for Ladakh and for myself personally because the path we are treading for the last five years was peaceful”.
He recalled that previous hunger strikes and marches from Leh to Delhi had been conducted peacefully. “Today, we are seeing our message of peace failing because of the incidents of violence and arson,” he said.
He announced that he would end his fast immediately, stating, “The aim of the hunger strike is not fulfilled if our youth lose their lives. It is time to carry forward dialogue with a cool mind. We will keep our agitation non-violent, and I also want to ask the government to listen to our message of peace. When the message of peace is ignored, such a situation arises,” he said.
Wangchuk is a recipient of the Ramon Magsaysay Award.
The Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, which he sought to extend to Ladakh, provides special provisions for governance, powers of the president and governor, alternate judicial mechanisms and financial powers exercised through autonomous councils. These provisions are already applied to the tribal populations in four northeastern states (Tripura, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Assam).
The Apex Body Leh and the Kargil Democratic Alliance have been leading the protests for the last four years in support of their demands. Tension in the region had been mounting since Tuesday evening after they called for a shutdown of Leh town, which eventually escalated into Wednesday’s violence.
