SC questions grounds for Wangchuk’s detention
The Supreme Court on Wednesday questioned the grounds for detaining Ladakh activist Sonam Wangchuk under the National Security Act (NSA), saying that the Central Government was reading “too much” into his statements. A Bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and PB Varale made the observation while hearing the plea moved by Wangchuk’s wife, Gitanjali J Angmo, against his preventive detention.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta objected release of Wangchuk, responding to the apex court’s direction on the previous hearing to consider his health status.
Additional Solicitor General KM Nataraj submitted that Wangchuk had warned that a violent agitation, akin to what occurred in Nepal, could take place in Ladakh and that youth were expressing doubts in the effectiveness of peaceful methods. However, the Court said that Wangchuk had instead expressed worry about the same.
“He is worried... We will have to take the entire sentence…read it…’Some people are abandoning Gandhian peaceful ways. This is worrying’... the focus is departure from a non-violent way, departure is something worrying,” the Court pointed out.
SG Tushar Mehta said that the Court should not compare Wangchuk with Mahatma Gandhi. “I was told that your lordships read Gandhiji’s last speech. Let us not glorify something which is completely anti-India with the father of the nation,” Mehta said. However, the Court said that it was read in some different context. Mehta expressed concern that the media would highlight it in a different manner.
“Let it not become tomorrow’s headline that your lordships compared the petitioner to Gandhiji. We will have to see the context. This health facade is also a social media facade,” the SG said. The Court said that it was not concerned with what happens outside. “Why are you trying to make an ant out of a molehill? If you say that we should not ask questions, we will not ask,” the Bench said, while asking ASG Nataraj to resume his arguments.
Wangchuk has been detained under the NSA following protests in Leh in September 2025 over demands of statehood and Sixth Schedule status for the Union Territory of Ladakh.
