Statehood protest turns violent in Leh: BJP office set ablaze, police van torched, BJP accuses Congress leader for rioting

On 24th September, violence erupted in Leh, Union Territory of Ladakh after a shutdown call by the Leh Apex Body’s youth wing spiralled into clashes, arson and chaos. The agitators, who were demanding statehood and inclusion of Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, torched the local Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) office, burnt a police van, and clashed with the security forces deployed in the heart of the city. Notably, BJP has accused Congress leader of participating in rioting.

The violence marks the sharpest escalation of the ongoing agitation spearheaded by controversial activist Sonam Wangchuk, who has been on hunger strike since early September demanding Ladakh’s constitutional and political rights. The violence also forced the District Magistrate of Leh, Romil Singh Do