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Hailing Wangchuk’s release, Ladakh leaders demand release of remaining detainees
Political leaders praised the Centre's decision to release climate activist Sonam Wangchuk
Political leaders on Saturday hailed the Centre’s decision to revoke the detention of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk under the National Security Act, even as the leadership in Ladakh urged the government to drop all charges against other detainees linked to the violent protests that roiled the Union Territory last year.
Wangchuk, who has been detained since September 26, 2025, was released from prison on Saturday, days before the Supreme Court is set to hear the plea filed by the activist’s wife challenging his detention on March 17. The 59-year-old was held after the protests over demands for statehood for Ladakh and its inclusion in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution turned violent, claiming the lives of four people and injuring 45 others.
Ladakh lieutenant governor Vinai Kumar Saxena welcomed the decision to revoke Wangchuk’s detention. However, Saxena, who took oath as LG on Friday, also said that there is “no space for agitation and violence” in the UT.
“LG Shri Vinai Kumar Saxena has welcomed the decision to revoke the detention of Sonam Wangchuk and said it was a positive step by the Centre towards fostering an environment of peace, stability and mutual trust in #Ladakh. He maintained that there is no space for agitation and violence in #Ladakh and all issues pertaining to the aspirations and concerns of the people, would be addressed through dialogue with various stakeholders, community leaders and citizens in #Ladakh,” the office of LG Ladakh posted on X.
Jammu & Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah hailed the decision, saying: “First of all, Sonam Wangchuk should have never been arrested and that too under NSA. His release is good. We want the situation to remain peaceful in Ladakh...”
Former Delhi chief minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convener Arvind Kejriwal slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government, saying the case of Wangchuk mirrors the treatment meted out to his party’s top leadership in the alleged Delhi liquor scam, claiming they were kept in jail “for months and years” under fabricated charges.
“The Modi government stands exposed once again. A scientist and climate activist who had dedicated his life to the nation was arrested without any evidence,” Kejriwal said in a post on X. “The months he spent in jail were not only a personal loss for him but also a loss to the country. This sheer dictatorship must be called out and stopped immediately.”
Leaders from Ladakh hailed the decision as they demanded the release of the remaining detainees.
“We welcome the release of Sonam Wangchuk. But others also need to be released, and the government should also take back the cases filed against people who participated in the protests,” Ladakh MP Mohamad Hanifa was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
The co-chairman of the Leh Apex Body (LAB), Cherring Dorjay Lakruk, noted that the charges framed against Wangchuk were “frivolous and fabricated that the government failed to prove in the Supreme Court”.
“The government was going to lose this case, so for face saving, they pre-empted this and revoked the NSA,” he said. “Today we stand vindicated. Now the tag of ‘anti national’ that was put on our movement has been removed and our struggle will continue for our rights.”
Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) member Sajjad Kargili demanded the immediate release of Deldan Namgial and Smanla Dorjey, and appealed to the government to drop all charges against other detainees unconditionally.
“The revocation of NSA against Shri Sonam Wangchuk is a welcome move. However, our struggle for our legitimate rights continues. We also demand the immediate release of Deldan Namgial & Smanla Dorjey & appeal that all charges against those detained on 24 Sept be dropped unconditionally.#Ladakh,” he wrote on X.
The LAB and the KDA are spearheading the agitation in Ladakh in support of their statehood and the Sixth Schedule demands, and are engaged in high-level talks with the MHA.
Chief executive councillor Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, Kargil, Mohammad Jaffar Akhoon said this will strengthen peace and harmony in the region. “His (Sonum Wangchuk’s) release will pave way for constructive dialogue on the genuine aspirations and concerns of people of Ladakh,” he said.
Welcoming the decision, Peoples Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti said, “The NSA should not have been invoked against Sonam Wangchuk in the first place. He has done so much for the environment. Also, he was a fan of the BJP, this should not have happened to him,” Mufti told reporters here.
The J&K Congress on Saturday welcomed the revocation of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk’s detention by the Centre, claiming that the decision was taken amid mounting pressure from his case in the Supreme Court and growing public support in Ladakh.
The party, however, raised serious questions over the circumstances that led to his detention for more than six months “without clear justification”, while also pushing for the release of Aam Aadmi Party MLA Mehraj Malik, who was detained under Public Safety Act (PSA) in September last year.
With inputs from agencies
