Sonam Wangchuk arrested for warning the government about the cancellation of his NGO's license following the Leh violence

Ladakhi social and environmental activist Sonam Wangchuk has been arrested by the police. This action comes following recent violence in Ladakh. He was arrested before he was scheduled to attend a press conference at 2:30 pm. Wangchuk's arrests by Leh police on Friday sparked widespread backlash and raised concerns about the ongoing protests. Wangchuk has been arrested under the National Security Act (NSA), but has not yet been jailed.

NGO's FCRA license was revoked a day earlier
The Home Ministry on Thursday revoked the registration of Sonam Wangchuk's non-profit organization, the Students Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh (SECMOL), to receive foreign donations under the FCRA, 2010. It is noteworthy that violent protests erupted in Ladakh on September 24th. Protesters set police vehicles and a BJP office on fire. Four people were killed and over 70 were injured in the violence.

Wangchuk's response:
Wangchuk, on Thursday, described the Home Ministry's blaming of him for the recent violent protests in Ladakh as a "scapegoat" tactic aimed at avoiding addressing the core problems of the Himalayan region. Wangchuk further stated that he was ready to face arrest under the stringent Public Safety Act (PSA). Wangchuk said that claiming that the violence was instigated by him or the Congress party was like looking for a scapegoat instead of addressing the root of the problem, and that would not lead to any solution.

Speaking to news agency PTI, Wangchuk said, "They may be clever in making someone a scapegoat, but they are not intelligent. At this time, we all need wisdom rather than "cleverness," because the youth are already frustrated." The climate activist said, "I see that they are creating a case so that they can arrest me under the Public Safety Act and put me in jail for two years." I am ready for this, but putting Sonam Wangchuk in jail instead of keeping him free may increase the problems further.

PC:ABPNews