Sonam Wangchuk: ‘A stain on democracy,’ says Sonam Wangchuk after several arrests outside Ladakh Bhawan

Delhi Police on Sunday arrested several people coming from outside Ladakh Bhawan, where climate activist Sonam Wangchuk has been on an indefinite hunger strike since October 6 to press for their demand to include Ladakh in the Sixth Schedule to the Constitution. According to one of the protesters, the detainees were taken to Mandir Marg police station.

Earlier, the police had said that Sonam Wangchuk was among those arrested, but later the New Delhi DCP clarified that the climate activist was not among those detained.

“We have arrested some students from outside Ladhak Bhawan. Sonam Wangchuk is not one of them,” said New Delhi Deputy Commissioner of Police Devesh Mahla.

Meanwhile, Wangchuk said in a video message that Delhi Police had arrested several of his supporters, while questioning why section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), which prohibits unauthorized gatherings, is being enforced permanently in New Delhi.

“Many people came here today to observe a silent protest. It is really sad that they were arrested by the Delhi Police. It is sad because in the largest democracy in the world, we cannot not even hold a silent protest,” Wangchuk said in the post.

“We were told that Article 163 had been applied… It is sad that the mother of democracy has such a restriction imposed throughout the year. This article is generally only temporarily applied only when “There is a risk that law and order will be disrupted,” Wangchuk added.

“This is an attack on our democracy, and the courts should also take notice… How can such articles be imposed permanently,” he asked.

The Ramon Magsaysay Award-winning climate activist also shared videos of people being detained on Instagram.

Stating that the protesters did not have permission to sit outside the Ladakh Bhawan where Section 163 of the BNSS is in force, a senior police officer said, “They have filed an application to hold a demonstration at Jantar Mantar. Their request is under study. They are not allowed to demonstrate at any other site. We arrested a few people, who will soon be released. »

Wangchuk and his supporters who marched from Leh to Delhi were arrested by the Delhi Police at the Singhu border on September 30 before being released on October 2.

The group is demanding a meeting with top leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to press their demands.

The Sixth Schedule of the Constitution includes provisions for the administration of tribal areas in the northeastern Indian states of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram. It also creates autonomous councils with legislative, judicial, executive and financial powers to govern these areas independently.

The march to Delhi was organized by the Leh Apex Body which, along with the Kargil Democratic Alliance, has been leading an agitation for the last four years for Ladakh’s statehood, inclusion in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, a public service commission for Ladakh, and separate Lok Sabha seats for Leh and Kargil districts.