Former J-K DGP SP Vaid alleges "political motive" behind Leh violence amid Sonam Wangchuck's hunger strike

Jammu (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], September 25 : Former Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police (DGP) SP Vaid on Wednesday raised serious concerns over the violence that broke out in Leh during activist Sonam Wangchuck's ongoing hunger strike. Vaid alleged that the violence was driven by a "political motive" rather than mere frustration and demanded accountability for the deaths of four people, along with strict action against the perpetrators.
Speaking to ANI, Vaid questioned the timing of the violent incident, noting that the Government of India and Ladakh's leadership were scheduled to hold talks on October 6. "The talks were scheduled for October 6, and even proposed for the 25th or 26th, and despite that, the situation became violent today. We should see who benefits from this... Who is the real trigger? Four lives were lost. Dozens of people were injured, and property and vehicles were burned. It is very important to fix the responsibility..." he said.
Vaid emphasised that the violence was not a spontaneous reaction borne out of frustration since talks were underway. "It was not a matter of frustration while the talks were going on. The Government of India is willing to talk... The 25th is tomorrow, today is the 24th. Why did the violence happen today?... It seems there's a political motive behind this," he added.
Pointing to a broader conspiracy, Vaid referenced Sonam Wangchuck's earlier remarks comparing Ladakh's struggle with Nepal's Gen Z protest. "Just look at Sonam Wangchuck's talk about the Arab Spring. He appreciates the overthrow of the Nepal government by the Gen Z... Seems like a deep-rooted conspiracy... After all, someone responsible should be identified and strict legal action should be taken... They should be booked under the Public Safety Act and charged for instigating violence," he stated.
The former DGP also alleged that the violence was well-planned, citing targeted attacks on the BJP office and security forces. "The way the BJP office was set on fire, it was targeted... The local Hill Council was set on fire. CRP police vehicles and public property were damaged. This seems like a well-planned conspiracy. The way Congress supported stone pelting and the way they're calling for a shutdown, I don't think they're playing a positive role in this. They want to cash in on a situation like this. So, this should be dealt with firmly," he said.
While condemning the violence, Vaid stressed that Ladakh's youth had been misled by political forces.
"The youth have been misguided. They think they're fighting for some righteous cause, but they're being exploited. Youth face issues such as unemployment and many other challenges... However, these issues can be brought to the government's attention through elected representatives... The unemployment issues aren't just in Ladakh... They (youth) think they can solve them through violence... They should push the government through their representatives to introduce schemes and provide employment opportunities. If there were a genuine demand for Ladakh, the government would consider it. I think they thought they were fighting for a righteous cause, so they burned property. They have been misled and misguided and misused by politicians..." he explained.
Meanwhile, as per the Ministry of Home Affairs, activist Sonam Wangchuk began a hunger strike on September 10, demanding the Sixth Schedule and statehood for Ladakh.
The protest turned violent, resulting in clashes with police and damage to public property.
It is well known that the Government of India has been actively engaged with the Apex Body Leh and the Kargil Democratic Alliance on the same issues. A series of meetings was held with them through the formal channels of the High-Powered Committee, as well as the Sub-committee, and multiple informal meetings with leaders.
The process of dialogue through this mechanism has yielded phenomenal results by increasing reservations for the Ladakh scheduled tribe from 45% to 84%, providing 1/3 women's reservations in the councils and declaring Bhoti and Purgi as official languages. With this process, the recruitment of 1800 posts was also commenced.
However, certain politically motivated individuals were unhappy with the progress made under HPC and have been attempting to sabotage the dialogue process.
The next meeting of the High-Powered Committee has been scheduled on 6th October, while meetings are also planned on 25th and 26th September with the leaders from Ladakh.