Srinagar: As protests erupted in Ladakh over detention of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk by Delhi Police, former chief ministers of Jammu and Kashmir, Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti took a dig at centre over barring from raising peaceful voice for his rights and detaining him along with dozens of his associates.
Taking to micro-blogging site X (formerly Twitter) Omar said: “The people of Ladakh were made a number of promises which the Modi government didn’t keep. When their patience ran out they had no option but to walk to Delhi to remind the Union government of its betrayal. Instead of a patient hearing what they got was the might of the government used to detain them before they could enter Delhi. A government that couldn’t stop the Chinese incursion instead stops its own citizens from peacefully entering their national capital city”.
Meanwhile, Mehbooba Mufti also too k to the X and posted: “Even the very fundamental right to protest has been snatched from us for raising our voice against the onslaught on our identity & resources. We stand in solidarity with the people of Ladakh.”
Wangchuk and around 120 others on a march to Delhi demanding Sixth Schedule status for Ladakh were detained at the Singhu border on Monday night.
CPI (M) leader M Y Tarigami Tuesday also condemned the detention of Wangchuk and several other Ladakhis, saying it reflects the government’s “utter disregard” for democratic freedom.
“Condemning, in no uncertain terms, the detention of prominent climate activist Sonam Wangchuk along with his supporters at Singhu border. Scuttling the peaceful Delhi Chalo Padyatra of Wangchuk reflects the government’s utter disregard for democratic freedom,” Tarigami said in a post on X.
Wangchuk was leading the ‘Delhi Chalo Padyatra’, which began from Leh a month ago. The Delhi Police has stepped up security around the Bawana Police Station where he was kept.
Several opposition party leaders have condemned Wangchuk’s detention.
