20 protesting with green activist Wangchuk detained in Capital

Around 20 protesters were detained by the Delhi Police on Sunday while demonstrating outside Ladakh Bhawan alongside climate activist Sonam Wangchuk.

The protesters were calling for Ladakh’s inclusion in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, along with other demands for the region.

“Around 20 to 25 protesters, who were on fast with Wangchuk, were detained and taken to the Mandir Marg police station,” said an official.

The demonstration saw heavy police deployment to maintain law and order. Some protesters, however, argued that they were not engaging in disruptive activities. “We were sitting peacefully, not protesting. The police action is unjustified,” a protester claimed.

A senior police officer clarified that the group did not have the necessary permissions to protest outside Ladakh Bhawan. “They have filed an application to hold a protest at Jantar Mantar, which is under consideration. Protesting at any other site is not allowed. We have detained a few people. They will be released soon,” the officer said.

Meanwhile, Wangchuk in a post on X said, “A sad day for democracy.”

“On the eighth day of the fast, 61 people doing a ‘maun vrat’ on Ekadashi to ‘SaveLadakh, SaveHimalayas’ were forcibly detained. We were told BNSS 163 (144) prohibitory orders were permanently applied in entire New Delhi district. This I think is against the spirit of the Constitution Article 19,” he said.

This is not the first time Wangchuk and his supporters have faced police action. The group was detained earlier at the Singhu border on September 30 while marching to Delhi from Leh, demanding a meeting with top leaders, including PM Narendra Modi. They were released on October 2.

The protesters are calling for the inclusion of Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, which provides for the administration of tribal areas in the North-Eastern states of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram. These provisions establish autonomous councils with legislative, judicial, executive and financial powers to govern the areas independently.

In addition to this demand, the group is advocating for statehood for Ladakh, the establishment of a public service commission and separate Lok Sabha seats for Leh and Kargil districts. Wangchuk has consistently voiced concerns over Ladakh's future and has called for more attention to the unique needs of the region.