The protests had been centred on demands for statehood for Ladakh and safeguards under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution. The 24 September violence left four protesters dead and 44 injured after police firing, according to reports.
Wangchuk alleged that security personnel used automatic weapons, including AK-47s, against protesters and claimed that the victims were subsequently branded “anti-national”. He also alleged that three magistrates present during the violence had refused to sign firing orders and said the claims should be examined by the judicial inquiry.
The Centre had ordered a judicial inquiry into the circumstances leading to the 24 September 2025 law-and-order situation, the police action and the deaths. The inquiry report has not been made public, according to the reports cited above.
Wangchuk also backed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s demand for Shah’s resignation over police action against students at Jantar Mantar.
Wangchuk alleged that heavy security deployment and restrictions had discouraged people from attending Thursday’s commemoration. Ladakh Police rejected the allegations as “false, baseless, and misleading”, saying no one was stopped from attending the prayer meeting.
Police said permission had been granted to the Ladakh Buddhist Association to hold the meeting at NDS ground in Leh, which has a capacity of 10,000 people. According to the police, fewer than 800 people attended and no individual was prevented from reaching the venue. It said barricades were installed as part of traffic and crowd-management arrangements.
A shutdown was observed across Leh, Kargil and other parts of Ladakh on the anniversary, with shops and business establishments closed and traffic remaining thin. The day was observed by sections of the region as “Martyrs’ Day”.
Wangchuk linked the violence to Ladakh’s longstanding demands for constitutional safeguards, alleging that assurances made to the region had not been fulfilled. He said justice for Ladakh was a responsibility of the entire country.
The government, however, has maintained that it remains committed to providing constitutional safeguards for Ladakh and resolving the region’s concerns through dialogue. The Centre revoked Wangchuk’s detention under the National Security Act in March 2026, after he had spent nearly six months in custody following the 2025 violence.
Wangchuk said Ladakh had chosen to remain with India because of its faith in democracy and the right to live with dignity, adding that the current situation had created an atmosphere of fear.
With agency inputs
