Leh protesters seek statehood, safeguards; Wangchuk removed from site, asked to stay at home

Srinagar: Scores of people, led by Apex Body Leh (ABL), started a peaceful protest in Leh on Thursday to press for their demands for statehood and constitutional safeguards, even as the authorities removed climate activist Sonam Wangchuk from the protest site and directed him to stay home.

The Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) has extended its support to protesters in Leh, calling for a peaceful candle march on Saturday evening in Kargil.

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Representatives of ABL, KDA, political, social and religious bodies and Lok Sabha MP Mohmad Haneefa have urged the Centre to defer the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council elections scheduled on December 4. Panchayat and municipal polls are scheduled for November 21. The chief electoral officer of Ladakh has prohibited parties, candidates and their supporters from organising dharnas, protests, demonstrations, sit-ins, hunger strikes and rallies within the limits of Leh and Kargil during the model code of conduct period for the elections.

"We had planned this protest quite some time ago. We had already drawn up a timeline and a plan, and we are proceeding accordingly. We will intensify the peaceful agitation to press for the result-oriented dialogue process with MHA to address the aspirations of people of Ladakh and review the recent excise policy and other decisions," said ABL chairman Chering Dorjay Lakruk.

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"This protest is not for the upcoming elections, but this was not the time to conduct polls. They have removed Gen Z from the voter list as part of Operation Lotus and want to conduct elections in extreme weather conditions," said Lakruk. A delegation of KDA members is arriving in Leh on Friday to express solidarity with protesters and meet Wangchuk as well.

"Our right to protest and express dissent is being suppressed, but we will expose and fight all the conspiracies being tried against the people of Ladakh," said Sajjad Kargili of KDA.