Delhi Chief Minister Atishi Stopped From Meeting Sonam Wangchuk Lodged In Bawana Jail

The climate activist embarked on a padayatra on September 1 from Leh to the national capital in demand of special state status for Ladakh, inclusion in the sixth schedule, one additional Lok Sabha seat and tackling the rising unemployment. He and his supporters were detained by the Delhi police at the Singhu Border on Monday late night.

New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Atishi paid a visit to Bawana Police Station to meet climate activist Sonam Wangchuk lodged there along with 150 co-activists after they were detained on their to the national capital in demand of enlisting Ladakh in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.

“The people of Ladakh want statehood. Sonam Wangchuk and the people of Ladakh, who were going to visit Bapu’s Samadhi, were arrested. They did not let me meet Wangchuk. We fully support him. This is BJP’s dictatorship. The LG rule should end in Ladakh and similarly in Delhi too...I am sure that these police officers must have received a call from LG Sahab that the representative of the elected government, the CM of Delhi, should not do this,” she said.

The CM said they were not allowed to meet Wangchuk. Ladakh should get full statehood and Delhi should also get. Today the central government run by the Bharatiya Janata Party leaves no stone unturned to kill democracy.

“They are taking away the right to vote. Why was he arrested? Why am I being stopped from meeting him? Because the BJP is afraid of democracy and today I am saying with confidence that if such dictatorship continues, it will end in Ladakh, Delhi and mostly at the Centre,” she said.

In her X handle, she wrote, "Sonam Wangchuk and our 150 Ladakhi brothers and sisters were coming to Delhi peacefully. The police have stopped them. They have been imprisoned in Bawana police station since last night. Is it wrong for Ladakh to demand democratic rights? Is it wrong for satyagrahis to go to Gandhi Samadhi on 2 October? Stopping Sonam Wangchuk ji is dictatorship. I will go to Bawana police station to meet him today at 1 pm."

National Convenor of Aam Aadmi Party and former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal lashed out at the central government. On X handle he posted, “Sometimes farmers are stopped from coming to Delhi, sometimes the people of Ladakh are stopped. Is Delhi the property of one person? Delhi is the capital of the country. Everyone has the right to come to Delhi. This is wrong. Why are they afraid of unarmed peaceful people?"

“Why are the agencies stopping Sonam Wangchuk but unable to stop the gangsters openly firing in Delhi? They are demanding extortion from businessmen. PM Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and Delhi Police are not arresting them,” former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia said.

Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the issue.

Section 163 has been imposed in Delhi given the assembly elections in Haryana, counting of votes in the recently held student union elections held in Delhi University, Waqf Board matter and other aspects.

Wangchuk was trying to enter Delhi from the Singhu border with his supporters on Monday late night when the Delhi Police took them into custody citing law and order.

On September 1, Wangchuk and officials of Leh Apex Body left for Delhi from NDS Memorial Park in Leh with the demands of special status for the Union Territory of Ladakh. He wants to draw the attention of the central government towards the Leh region. The purpose of the padayatra is to support the four-point agenda— special state status for Ladakh, inclusion in the sixth schedule, one additional Lok Sabha seat and tackling the rising unemployment.