Detention of Sonam Wangchuk, other Ladakhis unacceptable: Rahul Gandhi

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday, 1 October, termed as "unacceptable" the detention of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk and other Ladakhis, and said Prime Minister Narendra Modi would have to listen to Ladakh's voice.

Around 120 people from Ladakh, including Wangchuk -- who had marched to the national capital demanding Sixth Schedule status for the Union Territory -- have been detained by the Delhi Police at the national capital's border.

"The detention of Sonam Wangchuk ji and hundreds of Ladakhis peacefully marching for environmental and constitutional rights is unacceptable," Gandhi said in a post on X.

The former Congress chief also asked why elderly citizens were being detained at Delhi's border for standing up for Ladakh's future.

"Modi ji, like with the farmers, this 'Chakravyuh' will be broken, and so will your arrogance. You will have to listen to Ladakh's voice," Gandhi said.

In a post on Instagram shortly before being detained, Wangchuk shared visuals from the Delhi border, where their buses were stopped amid huge police presence.

The climate activist can be seen in the video interacting with police officials.

In his post, Wangchuk said several vehicles of the Delhi Police and its Haryana counterpart were accompanying their buses. While they initially thought that they were being escorted as they approached the national capital, it was clear they were going to be detained.

"As we are approaching Delhi, it appears we are not being escorted, we are being detained," Wangchuk said.

He said around 1,000 police personnel had been deployed at the Delhi border and they were informed that heavy deployment of security forces was made at the Ladakh Bhawan in Delhi, and in areas where students from the Union Territory resided.

"It appears they don't want to allow this padyatra to take place," he said.

The padyatra was organised by the Leh Apex Body which, along with the Kargil Democratic Alliance, is spearheading an agitation over the past four years to demand statehood for Ladakh, its inclusion in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, early recruitment process along with a public service commission for Ladakh, and separate Lok Sabha seats for Leh and Kargil districts.

The Delhi Police on Monday banned gatherings by five or more persons, carrying banners, placards, and arms, and protests in the central part and bordering areas for the next six days, citing law and order issues, including calls for protests by several organisations.