Wangchuk alleges house arrest, with 25 personnel posted outside home.
Authorities cite election prohibitory orders; Wangchuk will contest them legally.
Demands include releasing inquiry report and rescheduling December council elections.
Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk has alleged that he is under house arrest in Ladakh. He says about 25 police and paramilitary personnel have been stationed outside his home, as reported by PTI.
In a video posted on X, Facebook and other platforms late on Thursday, Wangchuk said security personnel, vehicles and tents have been outside his residence since Wednesday night. Armed personnel, he said, were posted on all sides of the house during the day, limiting his movement.
Wangchuk, a prominent member of the Leh Apex Body, rejected the authorities' reported position that he had merely been "advised to stay at home". He said such a heavy presence amounted to house arrest in all but name.
Legal Challenge Planned
Wangchuk said he would contest the restrictions before the magistrate, the High Court and the Supreme Court. He asked how anyone could be stopped from joining a peaceful protest without being formally arrested. Ladakh Police defended the action saying the preventive measures followed prohibitory orders from the Union Territory's Chief Electoral Officer and the Leh District Magistrate. The orders regulate rallies, protests and other gatherings within Leh Municipality while the election process is under way.
The Demands Behind The Sit-In
Wangchuk said the restrictions came as he and other activists, including leaders of the Leh Apex Body and the Kargil Democratic Alliance, were preparing a sit-in. Their demands include a rethink on the Autonomous Hill Development Council elections, scheduled for December 4.
He called a winter poll "unacceptable", since a large part of Ladakh's population is away from the region in those months. He also alleged that the Hill Councils have been rendered ineffective and stripped of meaningful powers.
Wangchuk repeated his demand that the Commission of Inquiry report on the September 24 incident last year be made public, alleging that the matter is being suppressed. He said protests across Ladakh had been successful and would continue until the demands are met.
Political Reaction
Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke reacted on X on Thursday, sharing Wangchuk's video. Dipke said the government appeared set to put people under house arrest, detain or arrest them, or restrict their social media accounts before 2029. He said he stood in solidarity with Wangchuk, whom he credited with risking his life to awaken the nation against "autocracy" during the Jantar Mantar protest.
Wangchuk said the people of Ladakh have always stood with India's youth and with the soldiers guarding its borders. He urged people across the country to show solidarity with Ladakh's struggle.
