'Cowardly', 'undemocratic': Oppn leaders slam detention of Sonam Wangchuk

Several opposition leaders, including Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Arvind Kejriwal , strongly criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party ( BJP ) government for detaining environmentalist Sonam Wangchuk and approximately 150 volunteers.

While Kharge described the action against Wangchuk as "cowardly" and "undemocratic," Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said that the BJP would not gain anything from it.

Wangchuk and his group were detained as they were about to finish their march from Leh to New Delhi, where they intended to voice their concerns and demand that the government reopen dialogue with Ladakh's leadership.

Kharge in his X post said, "The arrogance of the Modi government consumed in power has detained a group of citizens from Ladakh peacefully marching to Delhi. This is nothing but a cowardly action, and is deeply undemocratic in nature. In Ladakh, there is a growing wave of public support, with widespread calls for safeguarding tribal communities under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution. Instead, the Modi Govt wants to exploit the ecologically sensitive Himalayan glaciers of Ladakh to benefit its crony friends. This incident tells us that the fight against Modi Govt’s brazen despotism is far from over!"

The arrogance of the Modi Govt consumed in power has detained a group of citizens from Ladakh peacefully marching to Delhi. This is nothing but a cowardly action, and is deeply undemocratic in nature.

In Ladakh, there is a growing wave of public support, with widespread calls…

— Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) October 1, 2024

Arvind Kejriwal sharing Wangchuk's video on X said, "Sometimes they stop farmers from coming to Delhi, sometimes they stop people from Ladakh. Is Delhi the property of one person? Delhi is the country's capital. Everyone has the right to come to Delhi. This is completely wrong. Why are they afraid of unarmed peaceful people?"

दिल्ली में आने से कभी किसानों को रोकते हैं, कभी लद्दाख के लोगों को रोकते हैं। क्या दिल्ली किसी एक शख़्स की बपौती है? दिल्ली देश की राजधानी है। दिल्ली में आने का सब को अधिकार है। ये सरासर ग़लत है। निहत्थे शांतिपूर्ण लोगों से आख़िर इन्हें क्या डर लग रहा है? https://t.co/xPTMcLoTfF

— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) October 1, 2024

Akhilesh Yadav criticised the BJP government and said that "BJP will not get anything" from this. In his X post he said, "Those who are afraid of peace are scared from within. The BJP government cannot achieve anything by obstructing the peaceful Delhi visit of environmentalist and Ladakh well-wisher Sonam Wangchuk ji. If the Centre does not listen to the voice of the border, it will be called its political deafness."

जो लोग शांति से डरते हैं, वो अंदर से डरे हुए लोग होते हैं। भाजपा सरकार पर्यावरण रक्षक व लद्दाख हितैषी सोनम वांगचुक जी की शांतिपूर्ण दिल्ली यात्रा को बाधित करके कुछ भी हासिल नहीं कर सकती।

केंद्र अगर सरहद की आवाज़ नहीं सुनेगा तो ये उसकी राजनीतिक श्रवणहीनता कहलाएगी।… pic.twitter.com/Xywe3mnjJw

— Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) October 1, 2024

Congress MP KC Venugopal echoed Kharge's sentiments and said that the BJP was on the path of repeating the sins that have caused its downfall.

"A day before Gandhi Jayanti, the Government of India is out to kill his ideals once again. The arrest of Sonam wangchuk ji shows the government is scared of anyone who speaks up for their rights. Ladakh has been silenced, stripped of its democratic rights, and on the verge of being handed over to large corporates. This protest is months old, and the BJP is silly to think such petty acts of cowardice are going to deter those who have embarked on a Gandhian mission. The Modi regime is hell bent on repeating the sins that have caused their downfall," Venugoal wrote in a post on X.

Ladakh MP Haji Hanifa Jan also expressed deep concern over the government's handling of the ongoing issues in the region.

He urged the government to facilitate a platform where they could submit a memorandum to Prime Minister Modi or engage in talks with leadership to resolve the issues.

"For the last three years, we have been raising our concerns in a very peaceful manner...several rounds of discussions were also held with the government...we hoped that the talks would continue after the formation of the new government but it did not happen...We set out on foot from Leh under the banner of Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) and Apex Body with the hope that we would present our views to the central government in the national capital and our concerns would be heard. But unfortunately, Sonam Wangchuk and his team were detained yesterday...We urge the government to provide us a place from where we can submit a memorandum to PM Modi or hold talks with the leadership to resolve this issue," Ladakh MP Haji Hanifa Jan said.

It is with deep regret to inform that all Padyatris, led by ka @Wangchuk66, have been detained by the @DelhiPolice at the Delhi border. It is deeply unfortunate that we have been denied the right to conduct a peaceful walk in the capital and were stopped at the border.

I urge…

— Mohmad Haneefa (@Haneefa_Jan) October 1, 2024