The protestors torched a security vehicle outside the BJP office in Leh, an official said, adding that additional forces have been deployed to restore order. Photo: X/@ANI
Violent protests erupted outside the BJP office in Leh town during a shutdown call issued by the Leh Apex Body (LAB) in the Union Territory (UT) of Ladakh over the Centre’s delay to hold “result-oriented” talks over several long pending demands, which include granting Statehood and Sixth Schedule status to the region.
Preliminary reports suggested that supporters of the LAB, an amalgam of religious social and political organisations, assembled outside the BJP office in Leh to register their protest over the Centre not resuming talks with representatives of Ladakh over a series of demands, with Statehood and Sixth Schedule status topping the list.
Locals told The Hindu that violence broke out when the police tried to disperse the LAB protesters assembling outside the BJP office. There were reports of stone pelting outside the BJP office. The police used teargas shells to disperse the protesters. Several vehicles were also set on fire during the clashes between the BJP supporters and the LAB activists. The police have not issued any statement on what sparked violence outside the BJP office.
Tension was brewing in Ladakh since Tuesday (September 23) after two protesters, on a hunger strike since September 10 along with prominent climate activist Sonam Wangchuck, were hospitalised. However, the hospital sources said “their health conditions were showing improvement”.
Mr. Wangchuck, spearheading the agitation over Statehood and Sixth Schedule, recently rejected the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) recent announcement that the High-Powered Committee (HPC) on Ladakh will meet the representatives of the LAB and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), an amalgam of socio-political and religious groups from Kargil, on October 6 in New Delhi.
Mr. Wangchuck, who is on a five-week hunger strike, has been demanding the immediate resumption of “result oriented” talks between the Centre and Ladakh on their “long pending” demands.
Meanwhile, the KDA has issued a shutdown call on Thursday (September 25) in support of the LAB and their demands
The fresh protests have come at a time when the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) elections are due next month. In 2020, the BJP had won the elections. Ladakh was carved out as a UT in 2019 from the erstwhile State of J&K.
Published – September 24, 2025 02:05 pm IST
