Ladakh activist Wangchuk says motive to reach Rajghat fulfilled

On Wednesday evening, Wangchuk was released and escorted to Rajghat where he paid obeisance to Mahatma Gandhi.
Environmental activist Sonam Wangchuk and his supporters from the month-long march to Delhi, were brought to the Rajghat in the presence of a huge police force and local Ladakh students and youngsters in New Delhi on Wednesday.
Environmental activist Sonam Wangchuk and his supporters from the month-long march to Delhi, were brought to the Rajghat in the presence of a huge police force and local Ladakh students and youngsters in New Delhi on Wednesday.Express Photo by Parveen Negi
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NEW DELHI: Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, who, along with around 150 others, was detained at the Haryana-Delhi border late Monday, was released after nearly 48 hours of detention.

Wangchuk, 58, is leading the ‘Delhi Chalo Padyatra’—a month-long march that began in Leh.

The march is being spearheaded by the Leh Apex Body and the Kargil Democratic Alliance. They were marching towards the national capital to demand sixth schedule status and statehood for Union Territory Ladakh.

The climate activist was let off late on Tuesday but detained the next morning because they were adamant on marching towards central Delhi.

On Wednesday evening, Wangchuk was again released and escorted to Rajghat where he paid obeisance to Mahatma Gandhi.

Outside Rajghat when this newspaper asked him about his next move, Wangchuk said that a memorandum has been submitted to the government to secure Ladakh “within the constitutional provisions”.

The Ministry of Home Affairs has assured them of a meeting with the President and the Prime Minister in the coming days, following which they ended their hunger strike. “Our motive to reach Rajghat has been fulfilled,” he said.

On Tuesday, a PIL was submitted to the Delhi High Court seeking the release of Wangchuk and others from Ladakh who were detained at the Singhu border.

The plea urges the court to revoke the Delhi Police’s prohibitory order issued on September 30, which blocked the group from entering the capital.

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