Leh continued under curfew-like restrictions for the fourth consecutive day, with authorities reporting no new untoward incidents in the region since last evening.Officials said security remains on high alert a day after climate activist Sonam Wangchuk was detained by Ladakh police under the National Security Act (NSA) and shifted to Jodhpur Jail in Rajasthan.“The situation is slowly returning to normalcy and no untoward incident was reported from anywhere,” an official said.
Mobile internet services, suspended following Wangchuk’s arrest, continue to remain shut.Ladakh has been on edge since Wednesday, when violent protests erupted during Wangchuk’s hunger strike demanding statehood and Sixth Schedule status for the union Territory.The clashes left four people dead and dozens injured. Two days later, Wangchuk was taken into custody under NSA.
The Ladakh administration justified the detention, saying it was necessary “to restore peace and normalcy” in Leh and prevent further law-and-order breakdown.Authorities said Wangchuk’s series of “provocative” speeches, references to Nepal agitations, the Arab Spring and “misleading videos” had triggered the violent unrest on September 24.However, the Leh Apex Body (LAB), an amalgam of socio-religious and political organisations, maintained that Wangchuk had no role in the violence that occurred during the protests.(UNI)
