In the Union Territory of Ladakh, during a protest held in the capital city of Leh demanding statehood, four individuals lost their lives, and over fifty others sustained injuries. The Leh Apex Body (LAB), which is advocating for statehood and the inclusion of Ladakh in the Sixth Schedule, has been engaged in an indefinite hunger strike since the 10th of this month. Among the participants in this hunger strike are fifteen individuals, including environmental activist Sonam Wangchuk. In this context, the health condition of Sonam Wangchuk and another participant deteriorated, leading to their admission to the hospital yesterday (September 23). Currently, hospital sources have reported that there is progress in their health condition. In the meantime, the L.A.P. organization has called for a shutdown protest to emphasize their demands. Additionally, they participated in a protest in front of the BJP office in the city of Leh. Following this protest, police were deployed in the area. At that time, it is reported that a faction of the protesters engaged in violence. Protesters threw stones at both the BJP office and the police, and they also set fire to a police vehicle present there. Subsequently, the police attempted to disperse the protesters by using batons and firing tear gas canisters. As a result, four individuals lost their lives, and more than fifty others sustained serious injuries.
