Leh: The indefinite dharna by the Leh Apex Body (LAB) entered its second day on Friday against the protest and sit-in restrictions imposed by the Ladakh administration. Climate activist and LAB leader Sonam Wangchuk has been put under house detention for 60 days.
LAB Continues Indefinite Dharna, seeks dialogue and election postponement
The dharna, led by LAB co-chairman Chering Dorjay started at 11 am from NDS Memorial Park in Leh. The protest is taking place amidst extreme cold and LAB leaders have said they will continue until their demands are met.
Protesters will be present between 10 am and 5 pm every day and 20-30 people will be present alongside LAB leaders overnight, a LAB leader said.
“The protest was organised so that we can demand the continuation of dialogue, postponement of LAHDC elections, withdrawal of new liquor policy and releasing the judicial commission report on the violence on September 24, 2025,” Dorjay said.
“It is not the right time to hold elections in Ladakh as the temperature is several degrees below zero. Four out of every 10 people have migrated from Ladakh already. We are demanding that hill council elections should be postponed,” he added.
The Ladakh Chief Electoral Officer has announced hill council elections will be held on December 4 in eight districts. However, the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) which is also demanding constitutional guarantees under Article 371 and a representative body at UT level for Ladakh have objected to hill council elections being held during peak winter and are asking for them to be postponed until May-June next year.
Wangchuk put under house detention for 60 days
Wangchuk was removed from the protest site by police on Wednesday evening and was moved to his residence.
A directive has been issued by the Additional District Magistrate, Leh under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023 banning Wangchuk from moving freely for 60 days and organising or attending any unlawful protests, rallies, public gatherings etc. that may cause public unrest and disrupt the ongoing election process.
This comes after the SSP, Leh submitted an application requesting preventative action against Wangchuk due to his previous actions and alleged attempts to organise the public. The SSP stated there were concerns that further protests, hunger strikes and public gatherings could cause public unrest.
The Model Code of Conduct is currently in place and municipal elections are due to be held on November 21 in Leh and Kargil.
Wangchuk says he will appeal against order
Wangchuk claimed in a video message uploaded to his X page that he had been put under house arrest at his institution and there were around two dozen police and paramilitary vehicles outside.
He claimed the Judicial Inquiry Commission report on the violence in Leh last year had been delayed and objected to hill council elections taking place in mid-winter. He also claimed social media platforms such as X, Instagram and YouTube had seen a drastic reduction in reach.
He added that he will appeal against the detention order in court and the LAB dharna will continue until his demands are met.
KDA to hold candle march in support
A KDA delegation led by co-chairman Sajjad Kargili will travel to Leh on Friday to meet LAB leaders to discuss what happens next. They have also announced a candle march will take place in Kargil on Saturday evening in support of the LAB agitation and Wangchuk.
LAB and KDA leaders have appealed to the President, Prime Minister, Home Minister and Leader of Opposition to step in and postpone hill council elections due to December and January being the coldest and snowiest months in Ladakh.
They have also demanded the release of the inquiry report on the violence in Leh on September 24, 2025 in which four people were killed and over 40 injured in police firing.