A day after violent clashes during the Ladakh statehood agitation, which left four people dead and over 70 injured, prohibitory restrictions under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 have been imposed in Leh.
The district administration has banned the assembly of five or more persons in the region. No procession, rally, or public march will be permitted without prior written approval from the authorities. Police and security personnel have been deployed to maintain law and order and prevent further escalation
The violence broke out after protesters allegedly set fire to a local BJP office, prompting police to open fire. The incident took place during a large-scale demonstration demanding full statehood for Ladakh.
The Union Home Ministry has blamed climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, who ended a 35-day hunger strike in Leh, for inciting the protestors through “provocative” remarks. The ruling BJP has further accused the Congress party of being behind the violence, calling it a “Rahul Gandhi conspiracy.”
“Today, in Ladakh, attempts were made to portray some protests as being led by Gen Z. However, when investigated, it was discovered that these protests were not led by Gen Z, but by Congress. Congress councillor Stanzing Tsepang is the councillor from the Upper Leh ward. He is the main instigator, and numerous photos have surfaced of him and his workers instigating the violence,” BJP leader Sambit Patra had said in a press briefing.
Earlier, BJP IT Cell head Amit Malviya had also made similar allegations. However, Wangchuk rejected the charge that Congress was behind the agitation, saying the grand old party doesn’t enjoy such influence in the region. “Congress can’t manage to get 5000 youth on the roads,” Wangchuk said.
Regarding the councillor’s presence at the protest, Wangchuk said,“Tsepang was emotional and angry as two people from his village, who were part of the agitation, had been hospitalised on Tuesday.”