Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, along with 20 other protesters, was detained by Delhi Police on Sunday while demonstrating outside the Ladakh Bhawan, according to officials.
Approximately 20 to 25 individuals who had joined Wangchuk in a hunger strike were taken into custody and transported to the Mandir Marg police station. The police had arranged for a heavy presence to maintain order during the protest.
Some participants argued that they were not protesting in a disruptive manner but were merely sitting peacefully. A senior police officer clarified that the protesters did not have permission to gather outside the Ladakh Bhawan. He noted, “They have submitted an application to hold a protest at Jantar Mantar, which is currently under review. They are not permitted to demonstrate at any other location. We have detained a few individuals, who will be released shortly.”
Wangchuk and his supporters had marched to Delhi from Leh to advocate for Ladakh’s inclusion in the sixth schedule of the Indian Constitution. Previously, on September 30, they were detained at the Singhu border and released on the night of October 2.
The group is also seeking a meeting with high-ranking officials, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The sixth schedule includes provisions for the governance of tribal areas in northeastern states such as Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Mizoram, establishing autonomous councils that possess legislative, judicial, executive, and financial powers to self-govern these regions.
In addition, the protesters are calling for statehood for Ladakh, the establishment of a public service commission, and separate Lok Sabha seats for the Leh and Kargil districts.
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