Leh, September 24: Chaos erupted in Leh as hundreds of protesters clashed with police demanding full statehood for Ladakh. Students and locals set fire to a BJP office and a CRPF vehicle, while stones were hurled at security personnel.
The protests were organized in support of social activist Sonam Wangchuk, who had been on a 15-day hunger strike pressing the government to honour its promise of statehood for Ladakh. Demonstrators had called for a Leh-wide shutdown, which escalated into violent clashes.
Ending his hunger strike, Wangchuk appealed for peace: “This is a sad day for Ladakh. We have pursued peaceful means,fasting, walking from Leh to Delhi. Today, our message of peace is being overshadowed by violence. I urge the youth to stop this foolishness. We are halting our protests.”
The government has scheduled the next meeting on the statehood demand in Delhi on October 6. After the 2019 revocation of Articles 370 and 35A, Ladakh was made a Union Territory, with assurances that full statehood would be considered once conditions stabilized.
Hundreds of locals joined the protests, mobilized via social media. Violence escalated when police tried to block protesters at the Leh Hill Council office, triggering stone-pelting, vandalism, and arson. The unrest marks a major challenge for authorities trying to maintain law and order while addressing the demands of Ladakh’s youth.
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