Wangchuk probe turns to Pakistan
Sonam Wangchuk is being probed by the Ladakh police for alleged connections with Pakistan. On Friday, he was detained under the draconian National Security Act (NSA) and transferred to a jail in Jodhpur, Rajasthan.
Meanwhile, curfew remained in force for the fourth day in violence-hit Leh as police and paramilitary forces intensified patrolling and checking following the detention of the climate activist. SD Singh Jamwal, Director General of Police, Ladakh, said, “What has been found in the investigation (against Wangchuk) cannot be disclosed at this moment. The process is ongoing, and if you review his profile and history, you can find all the available information on YouTube. His speech served as an instigator as he discussed the Arab Spring and the recent unrest in Nepal, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. He had his own agenda. There is a probe of foreign funding, violation of FCRA against him … We have a PIO with us who was reporting across the border, sending videos of the protests led by Wangchuk.”
The police chief also cited some of Wangchuk’s foreign visits and termed them as suspicious.” The DGP further added, “He attended an event by The Dawn newspaper in Pakistan and also visited Bangladesh.” Wangchuk has been the face of the agitation spearheaded by the Leh Apex Body and Kargil Democratic Alliance for Statehood and extension of the Sixth Schedule to the Union Territory. Police claim Wangchuk tried to hijack the platform and scuttle the dialogue between the Union Government and representatives of the UT. The Union Government has invited leaders for a fresh round of talks on October 6.
Jamwal said Wangchuk continued his hunger strike, despite knowing that an informal meeting between the two sides was going to take place on September 25. “Just a day before the informal meeting, a deliberate attempt was made to vitiate the peaceful atmosphere through provocative videos and statements, which culminated in violence on Wednesday and unfortunate deaths,” he said.
On Lt Governor Kavinder Gupta’s remarks about a foreign conspiracy in Wednesday’s violence, he said three Nepalese citizens were admitted to the hospital with bullet injuries, and involvement of some others has also come to light. Wangchuk probe turns predictable. He said, in all, 50 people have been taken into custody in connection with Wednesday’s violence. At least half a dozen of them are suspected to be ringleaders, he said. “Obviously, Wangchuk, who was the main instigator, has been lodged in an outside jail,” DG police said.
The Directorate of Information & Public Relations (DIPR), Ladakh, in a statement late Friday night, said: “Time and again it has been observed that Wangchuk has been indulging in activities prejudicial to the security of the state and detrimental to maintenance of peace and public order and services essential to the community.” It said that despite clear communication from the government regarding the meeting of the High-Powered Committee (HPC) and the offer of prior meetings before the HPC, Wangchuk, with his “ulterior motive”, continued his hunger strike in the town from 10 September. His series of provocative speeches, references to Nepal agitations, Arab Spring, etc, and misleading videos resulted in the violent protests of 24 September in Leh, where institutions, buildings and vehicles were burnt down, and, in the aftermath, police personnel were attacked, leading to the unfortunate death of four individuals.
“The entire episode could have been avoided if he could have risen above his personal and political ambitions by calling off the hunger strike when the dialogue with the government was resumed on the same agenda,” the statement said, referring to the demands for statehood and extension of the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution to the region.
