Curfew continues in Leh; situation tense but peaceful

Leh, Sep 25 (IANS) Curfew continued on Thursday in Leh town after four protesters were killed and 40 injured in a clash with the security forces a day earlier when unruly mobs torched vehicles, burnt down the local BJP office, and partially gutted the office of the hill council.

Congress leader and councillor, Phuntsog Stanzin Tsepag, has been booked for allegedly making a provocative speech at the hunger strike venue on Tuesday.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has blamed the hunger strikers, including climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, for inciting Wednesday's violence.

The BJP office, Leh Hill Council office and CRPF Gypsy were torched by an unruly mob and several vehicles were damaged in stone pelting, which prompted police and paramilitary personnel to open fire and use tear-smoke and baton charge to prevent further damage to the Government property as well as the lives of security personnel and other persons.

The Youth Wing of Leh Apex Body (LAB) fast was to push the Centre to hold early dialogue instead of the October 6 proposed meeting in support of their four-point demands -- Statehood, extension of Sixth Schedule, separate Lok Sabha seats for Leh and Kargil and reservation for employment.

The LAB of Leh and KDA of Kargil had been jointly spearheading an agitation over the past four years in support of their demands and had held several rounds of talks with the MHA in the past.

Tension had been building up since Tuesday evening.

Former MP and LAB chairperson Thupstan Chhewang, who had resigned from the body after the last round of talks on May 27, has returned to the helm and is likely to lead the joint delegation during the negotiations.

The Congress opted out of the LAB after some constituents expressed the view that the LAB delegation should be non-political in view of the Leh Hill Council elections next month.

Meanwhile, the four-day annual Ladakh festival was cancelled on the last day on Thursday following the violence.

Lieutenant Governor (L-G) Kavinder Gupta was scheduled to attend the closing ceremony of the festival, which started here on Sunday.

Police said that the situation is peaceful in Leh town as restrictions imposed by the DM are being strictly imposed. After Wednesday's violence, L-G Gupta warned miscreants of serious action as he expressed solidarity with the people of Ladakh, whom he called peaceful and law-abiding.

Reacting to the violence, BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya said on X, "At a press conference yesterday, Congress councillor from Saspol, Smanla Dorjey Norboo, openly challenged the administration, daring them to deploy more CRPF personnel and insisting that even a larger security presence would not stop demonstrators from reaching the BJP Ladakh office and dragging people out."

"He went on to say that he would personally come to stone the BJP Ladakh office, and he urged people from across Ladakh to travel to Leh on 24 September to carry out the attack. On 24 September, a mob subsequently set fire to the BJP Ladakh office," Malviya added.

--IANS

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