Delhi Chief Minister Atishi was prevented from meeting climate activist Sonam Wangchuk on Tuesday after he was detained, along with his supporters, while attempting to enter the national capital.
Wangchuk and his group were marching peacefully from Leh as part of the ‘Delhi Chalo Padyatra,’ demanding constitutional rights for Ladakh.
Atishi arrived at the Bawana Police Station at 1 PM but was stopped by the police before she could meet the activist. According to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Wangchuk’s supporters have been detained in various police stations near Delhi’s borders. A heavy police presence has been deployed around Bawana Police Station, located on the Delhi-Haryana border.
Wangchuk, along with around 120 protesters from Ladakh, was leading a peaceful march demanding Sixth Schedule status for the Union Territory of Ladakh, which would grant the local population greater autonomy to protect their cultural and environmental interests. The march, which began a month ago from Leh, was intended to culminate at Rajghat on Gandhi Jayanti, October 2, to highlight Ladakh’s long-standing demands.
Delhi Police detained approximately 125 protesters, including Wangchuk, at the Singhu border on Monday. This action was taken under prohibitory orders issued by Delhi Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora, which restrict public gatherings of more than five people in certain areas of Delhi from September 30 to October 6.
The orders cited concerns over communal tensions, upcoming elections in Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana, and VVIP movements expected during Gandhi Jayanti.
Following the detention, Wangchuk expressed his frustration in a post on X, saying: “I am being detained… along with 150 padyatris at the Delhi border, by a police force of hundreds, some say 1,000. Many elderly men & women in their 80s and a few dozen Army veterans… Our fate is unknown. We were on a most peaceful march to Bapu’s Samadhi… in the largest democracy in the world, the mother of democracy… Hai Ram.”
The marchers’ demands include statehood for Ladakh, the extension of the Sixth Schedule to protect Ladakhi identity, the establishment of a public service commission, and the creation of separate Lok Sabha constituencies for Leh and Kargil districts.
The detentions have sparked political reactions. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi condemned the government’s actions, accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of silencing dissent.
“Why are elderly citizens being detained at Delhi’s border for standing up for Ladakh’s future? Modi ji, like with the farmers, this ‘Chakravyuh’ will be broken, and so will your arrogance,” he wrote on X.
Former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also criticized the detentions, asking, “Sometimes they stop farmers, sometimes they stop people from Ladakh. Is Delhi the property of one person? Everyone has the right to come to Delhi.”
Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia expressed his outrage, stating, “The government is failing to act against criminals but is targeting peaceful activists like Sonam Wangchuk who raise legitimate issues.”
Ladakh MP Haji Hanifa Jan called on the government to resume talks with Ladakhi leaders to address their demands.
“For the last three years, we have been raising our concerns peacefully... We urge the government to provide us a platform to submit a memorandum to Prime Minister Modi or engage in talks,” Jan said.
Wangchuk and his supporters had embarked on the march to push for the resumption of stalled discussions on Ladakh's future, specifically focusing on securing Sixth Schedule status, which would grant legislative autonomy to the region.