Sonam Wangchuk has been accused by the Indian government of inciting violence with a speech prior to the protests in Ladakh. But the exact reason for his arrest on Friday has yet to be disclosed.

Indian police arrested activist Sonam Wangchuk on Friday following the deadly protests in Ladakh earlier in the week, which left at least four people dead.

Mobile internet services have also been suspended in the city of Leh. It comes just a day after authorities enforced a curfew on that district of Ladakh and Kargil, as well as restricting public gatherings to groups of five.

New Delhi had blamed Wangchuk for the protests in the Himalayan region, where people were calling for statehood.

Authorities have not disclosed the charges against the activist but it was reported that Wangchuk was arrested prior to a press conference that he was to speak at on Friday.

Ladakh a political flashpoint for India

In 2019, the Indian government split Ladakh from Indian-controlled Kashmir.

It was a move that was not welcomed by the residents, who have continuously sought to be independent of New Delhi, with demands for political rights growing in recent years.

A promise had been made to include Ladakh in the “Sixth Schedule” of India’s constitution, which would allow the people of the disputed region to make their own laws and policies, but this has yet to come to fruition.

Wangchuk went on hunger striker as he demanded full statehood for Ladakh or for the land and their fragile environment — largely due to climate change — be constitutionally protected.

Edited by: Zac Crellin

DW News