Sonam Wangchuk has demanded Amit Shah’s resignation over the September 2025 Leh violence that killed four civilians.
Wangchuk said he fears being killed in an “encounter” and alleged police opened fire without an order.
He has demanded the release of the judicial inquiry report and threatened to form a “people’s tribunal” if it remains unpublished.
Climate activist and Leh Apex Body (LAB) leader Sonam Wangchuk has demanded Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s resignation over last year’s violence in Leh, blaming him for the deaths of four civilians during protests for statehood and Sixth Schedule safeguards. Wangchuk also said he feared he could be killed in an “encounter” for speaking out against the government.
He made the remarks on Thursday, September 24, while addressing a gathering at the NDS Sports Complex in Leh on the first anniversary of the violence. A day earlier, Wangchuk had led a 20-km symbolic march in Leh to commemorate the four civilians killed in police firing after protests turned violent on September 24, 2025.
He also demanded that the report of the judicial inquiry into the violence be made public, warning that an independent “people’s tribunal” would be formed if the report was not released.
Wangchuk fears ‘encounter’, seeks Shah’s resignation
Speaking at the anniversary gathering, Wangchuk said he had received warnings about threats to his life.
“They have put me in jail. Now there is even a possibility that I could be encountered somewhere. People tell me, ‘You will be encountered’. If that happens, let it happen — so that the country wakes up,” he said, according to The New Indian Express.
Wangchuk then directly called for Shah’s resignation.
“Today, from Ladakh, I say — Amit Shah should resign. He has to take responsibility for what happened in Ladakh,” he said, according to The New Indian Express.
Wangchuk described the deaths as a “massacre” and said Shah must take responsibility.
Wangchuk also alleged that security personnel used automatic weapons, including AK-47 rifles, against local youth during the violence. The allegation remains his account; the judicial inquiry report has not been made public.
What happened during the 2025 protests?
The violence occurred on September 24, 2025, during protests in Leh demanding statehood and Sixth Schedule safeguards for Ladakh. Four civilians were killed and 44 injured in police firing.
Wangchuk was on hunger strike when the violence occurred. He was subsequently booked under the National Security Act and lodged in Jodhpur jail for six months, The Indian Express reported.
Wangchuk has argued that the Centre went back on its earlier promise to provide Ladakh protections under the Sixth Schedule. In his anniversary speech, he said the movement had remained peaceful for years and questioned why violence occurred in 2025.
Why are Ladakh groups protesting?
Ladakh became a Union Territory without a legislature in 2019 after the Centre reorganised the former state of Jammu and Kashmir. Since then, political groups and civil society organisations in the region have pushed for greater political representation, statehood and constitutional safeguards for land, employment and cultural identity.
A key demand has been inclusion of Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, which provides special protections for tribal areas through autonomous district and regional councils. Wangchuk and other representatives have argued that such safeguards are needed to protect Ladakh’s land and environment and give local communities greater control over decision-making.
The Centre and Ladakh representatives have held several rounds of talks over these demands. Wangchuk has said the government had earlier indicated that Sixth Schedule protection would be considered but later moved away from that position.
Anniversary marked by shutdown and prayers
The first anniversary was marked by a shutdown in parts of Ladakh. Shops and business establishments remained closed in Leh and Kargil, while prayers and a public gathering were held at the NDS Sports Complex.
Wangchuk alleged that heavy security deployment and restrictions had contributed to the low attendance. He claimed armed personnel had been deployed at villages and crossings and that some representatives and students were discouraged from attending programmes commemorating those killed.
Ladakh Police rejected the allegations, describing them as “false, baseless, and misleading”. Police said no one was stopped from attending the prayer meeting organised by the Ladakh Buddhist Association.
Police said the NDS ground had a capacity of 10,000 people but fewer than 800 attended. They said barricades in Leh were installed for traffic and crowd management after organisers had initially projected a larger gathering.
What led to the violence?
The September 2025 protests followed a prolonged agitation over Ladakh’s political demands. Wangchuk had been on hunger strike in Leh as part of the campaign when tensions escalated on September 24.
Student and youth organisations had called for a shutdown in Ladakh after two elderly people fainted while on hunger strike during Wangchuk’s fast. The situation later turned violent, leading to clashes and police firing. Four civilians were killed and 44 people were injured.
The deaths became a turning point in the movement, with Ladakhi representatives demanding an inquiry into the firing and accountability for those responsible. Wangchuk was detained two days after the violence and was later lodged in Jodhpur jail.
Inquiry report remains key demand
Wangchuk has also demanded that the judicial inquiry report be made public. He said he would constitute a “people’s tribunal” if the report was not released.
He has also questioned the circumstances in which police opened fire. Wangchuk alleged that the police had opened fire without an order.
The anniversary comes as the Centre and representatives of Ladakh continue talks over political and constitutional safeguards.
Separately, the Ladakh administration has withdrawn criminal cases against 20 of the 87 people booked in connection with the 2025 violence. The Indian Express reported that Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena approved the move in the larger interest of peace and social harmony. The withdrawal of the cases was among the demands raised during talks with the Centre, the newspaper reported.
What has happened since the violence?
The Ladakh administration has also announced compensation for those affected by the violence. The Indian Express reported that the administration sanctioned Rs 1.52 crore in compensation for the families of those killed and people injured in the September 2025 police firing. The families of each of the four people killed were to receive Rs 15 lakh, while those who suffered major injuries were to receive Rs 3 lakh each and those with minor injuries Rs 1 lakh each.
Wangchuk has continued to demand that the report be made public, arguing that it is needed to establish what happened during the firing and who should be held accountable.
The administration's measures have not resolved Wangchuk’s demand for the judicial inquiry report to be made public.
The judicial inquiry report has not yet been made public, leaving the circumstances surrounding the firing and questions of accountability unresolved.
