Leh, Sep 24 (NationPress) The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) released a statement on Wednesday addressing the law and order situation in Leh, attributing the incitement of violence directly to the inflammatory remarks made by climate activist Sonam Wangchuk and others participating in a hunger strike in the area.

The MHA's statement indicated: “A hunger strike was initiated by Sh Sonam Wangchuk on 10-09-2025, demanding the 6th schedule and statehood for Ladakh. It is important to note that the Government of India has been in active discussions with the Apex Body Leh and the Kargil Democratic Alliance.

“Numerous meetings have taken place through the formal channels of the High Powered Committee (HPC) along with several informal discussions with community leaders. The dialogue process has yielded significant outcomes, including increasing reservations for Ladakh's scheduled tribes from 45% to 84%, ensuring one-third reservations for women in councils, and designating Bhoti and Purgi as official languages.

Moreover, the statement emphasized: “In conjunction with this, the recruitment process for 1,800 positions was also initiated. Nonetheless, some politically motivated individuals expressed dissatisfaction with the progress achieved under the HPC and have attempted to undermine the dialogue process.

“The next meeting of the High Powered Committee is scheduled for October 6, with additional meetings planned on September 25 and 26 with Ladakhi leaders. The issues for which Mr. Wangchuk was on hunger strike are integral parts of the HPC discussions. Despite numerous leaders urging him to end the hunger strike, he persisted and misled the public with references to Arab Spring-style protests and comparisons to Gen Z protests in Nepal.

The statement further revealed: “On September 24, around 11:30 AM, a mob stirred up by his incendiary speeches abandoned the hunger strike venue and launched an attack on a political party office and the Government office of the CEC Leh. They set fire to these offices, assaulted security personnel, and torched a police vehicle.

“The unruly mob violently confronted police personnel, resulting in injuries to over 30 officers from both police and CRPF. The mob continued to wreak havoc by damaging public property and assaulting law enforcement. In self-defense, the police were compelled to resort to firing, which regrettably led to some casualties.

It was noted that “With the exception of a few unfortunate incidents that took place earlier in the day, the situation was brought under control by 4 PM. It is evident that the mob was incited by Shri Sonam Wangchuk through his provocative discourse. Interestingly, amid these events, he chose to end his hunger strike. The Government remains committed to fulfilling the aspirations of the people of Ladakh by providing adequate constitutional safeguards.

Four protesters lost their lives, and more than 30 others sustained injuries as a result of firing by security forces during the chaos, which included the burning of a CRPF vehicle and other incidents of vandalism, including an attack on the BJP office and an attempt to ignite the secretariat of the Leh hill development council.

Over three dozen security personnel were injured during confrontations with the unruly mobs in Leh. Authorities have since imposed a curfew in the area and urged residents to remain calm, cautioning them against falling prey to vested interests who do not have the well-being of the community or the administration at heart.