Ladakh Violence Anniversary : Sonam Wangchuk Makes Serious Allegations

Leh, Ladakh : Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk has raised serious concerns about his personal safety, claiming that he could be killed in an “encounter” for speaking out against the government, as Ladakh marked the first anniversary of the September 24, 2025 violence in Leh. Wangchuk also demanded the resignation of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, holding the Centre politically responsible for the situation and seeking the public release of the judicial inquiry report into the violence.

The September 2025 protests, which were centred on demands for statehood for Ladakh and constitutional safeguards under the Sixth Schedule, turned violent and resulted in the deaths of four people in police firing, with many others injured. The Union Territory administration subsequently ordered a judicial inquiry by former Supreme Court judge Justice B.S. Chauhan into the circumstances leading to the violence, the police action and the deaths, but the report has not yet been made public.

Wangchuk has alleged that serious questions remain over the circumstances of the firing and said that if the inquiry report is not released, an independent “People’s Tribunal” should examine the events. He has also continued to raise Ladakh’s long-standing demands for greater constitutional protection and political representation. Meanwhile, Ladakh Police rejected allegations regarding restrictions during anniversary events as false and misleading, maintaining that security arrangements and barricades were put in place for traffic and crowd management.

The anniversary also came amid recent administrative steps, with Ladakh Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena announcing the withdrawal of criminal cases against 20 people booked in connection with last year’s violence, following a review and a recommendation from Ladakh Police; four of those whose cases were withdrawn were among those who died in the incident.

The developments have once again brought renewed attention to the unresolved questions surrounding the September 2025 violence, the pending judicial inquiry report and the continuing political dialogue over Ladakh’s constitutional and governance demands.

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