| Dorjey seeks to defend Wangchuk, Cong | | Says violence in Leh was “spontaneous outburst” | | Early Times Report
Leh, Sept 26: Minutes after climate activist Sonam Wangchuk was arrested by Ladakh Police for his alleged role in Wednesday’s violence, the Leh Apex Body (LAB) described the September 24 incident as a “spontaneous reaction” of agitated youth and admitted that senior leadership had failed to prevent the situation from spiraling out of control.
Addressing the media following Wangchuk’s arrest, LAB co-chairman and former minister Cherring Dorjey conceded that the protests, which began at the venue of Wangchuk’s ongoing hunger strike, quickly slipped out of the leadership’s hands.
“Usually, not more than 500 people participated in the hunger strike. But on Wednesday, nearly 6,000 to 7,000 people turned up, most of them youth. Tempers flared after two participants of the strike were hospitalized, and the crowd became uncontrollable,” Dorjey explained.
He further admitted that the mob first targeted the office of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) in Leh, before proceeding to torch the BJP office. “We failed to control the mob that day,” Dorjey acknowledged, calling the turn of events “regrettable.”
However, Dorjey firmly denied accusations that either the Congress party or Wangchuk himself were behind the violence, stressing that the incident was triggered by spontaneous anger rather than a premeditated plan.
The remarks came hours after Ladakh Police, led by Director General of Police S. D. Singh, arrested Wangchuk on charges of inciting violence during the bandh call. The bandh, organized by several youth organizations, culminated in large-scale unrest that left four people dead and more than 80 injured across Leh town and adjoining areas.
The arrest of Wangchuk, who has been on a hunger strike since September 10 demanding statehood and Sixth Schedule status for Ladakh, has further intensified the already volatile atmosphere in the Union Territory. |
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