Ladakh L-G says normalcy restored in Leh, pledges to avert future unrest

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Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh Kavinder Gupta told ANI that for the past four days Markets are opened for general public from 10 am until 6 pm and vehicles are running normally after the recent protests in Leh. Even commercial vehicles are allowed today.

The recent protests on September 24 were a result of people demanding statehood and inclusion of Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule, which turned into clashes with the police officials in Leh.

The Lieutenant Governor said that, all educational centers up to the eighth grade have been opened.

"After a day or two, everything will be completely normal. The incident of the 24th September was truly painful and tragic, and should not have happened. We are ensuring that it does not happen again," he said.

Speaking on the arrest of Sonam Wangchuk, the LG said, "The action has been taken based on evidence. It's their right to go to court or elsewhere. It falls under fundamental rights, so that's fine. But action will be taken based on evidence. Many protestors have been released and bail has also been granted and those who found guilty will eventually face action. We have also initiated a magistrate inquiry into violent clash incidents of 24th September. Because Ladakh is a sensitive region and a border state."

"We're ensuring that such incidents don't happen again in future. We appeal to the people to inform police about the incident so that culprit will be put behind the bars. Dialogue is a medium and only through dialogue things can emerge," he said.

He added that the central government and the MHA have already invited them Apex body on the 22nd September and they have been again invited until the 6th October for dialogue.

Meanwhile, Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk's wife, Gitanjali Angmo, approached the Supreme Court seeking her husband's release. Wangchuk was detained under the National Security Act (NSA) and was shifted to Jodhpur Central Jail in Rajasthan for allegedly inciting violent protests in Ladakh.

He was also booked under the NSA after violence in Leh, in which four people were killed and 80 others were injured. In a post on social media X, Wangchuk's wife wrote that she had no information about his health or the grounds of his detention.

"I have sought relief from the SUPREME COURT OF INDIA through a HABEAS CORPUS petition against @Wangchuk66's detention. It is one week today. Still I have no information about Sonam Wangchuk's health, the condition he is in nor the grounds of detention," the post read.