In a powerful statement before the Supreme Court, jailed climate activist Sonam Wangchuk alleged that his detention under the National Security Act (NSA), along with a series of tax raids and criminal cases, was part of a &ldquo;calculated attempt&rdquo; to silence his peaceful campaign for Ladakh&rsquo;s Sixth Schedule protection and statehood.
Wangchuk, who has long championed environmental sustainability and constitutional safeguards for Ladakh, reiterated that his movement was rooted in Gandhian non-violence. &ldquo;I have always followed peaceful means to protect Ladakh&rsquo;s fragile ecology, unique culture, and constitutional rights,&rdquo; he stated in his plea before the court.
The amended petition, filed by his wife Gitanjali Angmo, described the allegations against him as &ldquo;baseless, misconceived, and devoid of any material.&rdquo; She argued that Wangchuk&rsquo;s work had strengthened rather than undermined national security. &ldquo;On the contrary, Wangchuk has made significant contributions in support of national security and the Armed Forces&hellip; His work has been directed towards assisting and strengthening the capabilities of the Indian security forces, not undermining them in any manner,&rdquo; Angmo said.
A Supreme Court bench comprising Justices Aravind Kumar and N.V. Anjaria directed the Centre and the Ladakh administration to respond to the affidavit within ten days.
The Centre, however, has justified Wangchuk&rsquo;s detention, claiming his actions were &ldquo;prejudicial to the security of the State and maintenance of public order.&rdquo; Officials maintained that the activist remains in good health at Jodhpur Central Jail, where he has been lodged since his September 26 arrest following violent protests in Leh that left four dead and over 80 injured.
Wangchuk, meanwhile, has denied inciting unrest or calling for an uprising. &ldquo;I had only urged for a peaceful demonstration &mdash; where we starve ourselves to bring change but not bother anyone else, and make Ladakh an example for other countries also,&rdquo; he clarified.
His wife&rsquo;s petition further claims that the government had misconstrued his references to Nepal, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka, lifting a single line from a longer speech &ldquo;with the apparent intention of maliciously detaining&rdquo; him.
According to the affidavit, a pattern of &ldquo;coordinated actions&rdquo; against Wangchuk began in August and September 2025, just weeks ahead of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) elections. These included IT raids, CBI investigations, land lease cancellations, and FCRA license suspensions, &nbsp;all allegedly linked to his rising influence in Ladakh&rsquo;s pro-autonomy movement.
&ldquo;The fact that all of these actions arose just two months before the LAHDC elections and at a time when he publicly raised the issue of fulfilling the Sixth Schedule promises made during the 2020 elections reveals a malicious intent,&rdquo; the petition stated.
It concluded that the detention was not a matter of state security but a &ldquo;targeted effort to stifle dissent&rdquo;, as Wangchuk&rsquo;s peaceful activism continues to inspire wide support across Ladakh and beyond.

Sonam Wangchuk Calls NSA Detention ‘Targeted’

Activist says cases & raids a “calculated attempt” to suppress Ladakh’s peaceful movement

Sonam Wangchuk Calls NSA Detention ‘Targeted’

Activist says cases & raids a “calculated attempt” to suppress Ladakh’s peaceful movement

October 30, 2025 | 15:46 IST