Delhi HC closes plea to permit Sonam Wangchuk, others to protest

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday, 22 October, closed the proceedings on a plea seeking permission for climate activist Sonam Wangchuk and others to hold a peaceful protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi.

Petitioner Apex Body Leh's counsel said they no longer wished to press the plea as the protest stood withdrawn following a discussion with the authorities.

Solicitor general Tushar Mehta, who was representing Delhi Police, added that Wangchuk has also withdrawn his fast and, therefore, the petition might not survive.

Wangchuk -- who had been sitting on an indefinite fast at Delhi's Ladakh Bhawan since 6 October -- ended his fast on Monday evening after the home ministry assured him that the talks on Ladakh's demands will resume in December.

In view of the statements of the parties, a bench of justices Prathiba M. Singh and Amit Sharma said, "Petition is dismissed as withdrawn."

Wangchuk and his associates from Ladakh had marched to the national capital to demand the inclusion of Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution. They were detained at the capital's Singhu border by the Delhi Police and released on the night of 2 October.

The march was organised by the Apex Body Leh, which along with the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), has been spearheading an agitation for the past four years to demand statehood for Ladakh, its inclusion under the Sixth Schedule, early recruitment process along with a public service commission for Ladakh and separate Lok Sabha seats for Leh and Kargil districts.

The Sixth Schedule pertains to the administration of tribal areas in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Mizoram as "autonomous districts and autonomous regions".

On 21 October, joint secretary, Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, Prashant Lokhande met the activists and handed them a letter from the home ministry.

The letter said the high-powered committee of the ministry, which was holding talks with representatives from Ladakh, will meet them next on 3 December.

Following this, Wangchuk and his supporters decided to break their fast and called off the sit-in.

On 9 October, the high court had asked the Delhi Police to respond to the plea seeking permission to hold a peaceful protest at Jantar Mantar.