After statehood protests turned violent in Leh on Wednesday, a security crackdown was launched and 50 people were arrested in connection with the clashes. Four people were killed and over 80 others injured in Wednesday’s violent clashes, and police and paramilitary forces strictly enforced a curfew in the Union Territory’s capital on Thursday.
The unrest erupted during demonstrations demanding statehood for Ladakh and the extension of the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution. A shutdown called by the Leh Apex Body (LAB) — to advance talks with the Centre — descended into arson and street clashes.
BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra accused Congress councillor Phuntsog Stanzin Tsepag of instigating the unrest, citing photos that allegedly showed him and his supporters provoking violence and advancing towards a BJP office with a weapon. Police have also lodged an FIR against Tsepag in connection with the violence. However, it remains unclear if the Leh Hill Council member is among those arrested in the recent crackdown.
The arrests were made in pre-dawn raids in Leh after Lt Governor Kavinder Gupta vowed to act against all those involved. Gupta also chaired a high-level security review meeting to assess the situation across Ladakh, stressing the need for increased vigilance, inter-agency coordination, and swift measures to safeguard peace and public order in the Union Territory.
Congress slams BJP for blaming party for Ladakh protests
mid BJP’s accusations that the Congress orchestrated the violence, veteran leader Udit Raj dismissed the claims. “Congress has nothing to do with this. Sonam Wangchuk has been protesting for months for statehood… The Central government is responsible for this situation in Ladakh,” he told a news agency.
The Kargil Democratic Alliance also held a press conference on the violence. Echoing Udit Raj, its co-chairman Asgar Ali Karbalai alleged that instead of handling the protests peacefully, security forces opened fire when clashes broke out. He claimed a “witch-hunt” was underway, citing the deaths of four people and injuries to more than 80 others.
Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra also slammed the Centre, accusing it of betraying the region’s long-standing demands.
“Ladakhis have waited patiently for years. None of the Centre’s promises have been fulfilled. To now brand them as deshdrohis is disgusting,” she wrote on X.
Her remarks came after the Ministry of Home Affairs blamed activist Sonam Wangchuk and “politically motivated individuals” for fuelling the unrest.
Following the massive protests, the Union Home Ministry on Wednesday night informed that the situation in Ladakh was now under control. It also urged people not to circulate old or provocative videos in the media or on social media platforms.
Farooq Abdullah lambasts BJP, regrets violence by protestors
National Conference president Farooq Abdullah also castigated the BJP for pointing fingers at Congress and urged it to take responsibility. On the protests, he said that the people of Ladakh had initially followed Gandhian methods of non-violent agitation. But, he added, “regrettably, instead of continuing on Gandhi’s path, they chose agitation and took some very harsh steps.”
“They set fire to the BJP office, burnt several police vehicles, and tried to torch other offices as well. This forced the police to open fire,” Abdullah clarified.
VIDEO | Srinagar: Speaking about the party stand over the Leh violence, NC President Farooq Abdullah says, “The National Conference has never abandoned Gandhi’s path. We have never picked up stones or guns, we have made sacrifices, but never resorted to such means. But what will… pic.x.com/2lxmAZlqor
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) September 25, 2025
Pointing towards the Centre, he further said people are demanding answers: “Where are the promises you made?”
At senior levels, jobs are absent, with outsiders filling positions. Locals, he claimed, feel reduced to a colony. Among the youth, anger has turned into resolve: “Even if it costs us our lives, we will fight for our rights.”
Hailing Gandhian principles, Abdullah added: “The National Conference has never abandoned Gandhi’s path. We have never picked up stones or guns; we have made sacrifices, but never resorted to such means. But what will happen tomorrow, what our children might do, that I cannot say.”