Sonam Wangchuk withdraws plea from HC for holding protest in Delhi

Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk has withdrawn his plea to stage a protest in the national Capital Delhi for Ladakh’s Sixth Schedule status, the Delhi Police on Tuesday informed the Delhi high court, while adding that the officials from the Union home ministry assured him to continue discussions over the needs of his community.

“After discussions, Mr Wangchuk has withdrawn his fast and now the petition may not survive,” solicitor general Tushar Mehta, representing the Delhi Police, submitted before a bench of justices Prathiba M Singh and Amit Sharma.

Also Read: Sonam Wangchuk ends 15-day fast after MHA assurance

Taking note of the law officer’s submission, the court dismissed the plea filed by Apex Body Leh seeking to permit the climate activist to protest at Jantar Mantar.

“It is submitted by Solicitor General (SG) that after discussion, Mr Wangchuk has withdrawn his prayer for conducting the protest, which is confirmed by the petitioner. The petition is dismissed as withdrawn,” the bench said in the order.

In its plea before the high court, the body that had initiated the “Delhi Chalo Padyatra” along with Wangchuk and 200 padhyatris, claimed that the Delhi Police had arbitrarily rejected its request for holding the demonstration without any reasonable grounds for denial.

“By denying permission, the respondent is effectively suppressing this fundamental right and limiting the petitioner’s ability to engage in public discourse, undermining the principle of open expression,” the petition added.

The Padyatra was organised by the Leh Apex Body (LAB), which along with Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), were jointly spearheading an agitation over the past four years in support of statehood, extension of the Constitution’s sixth schedule, early recruitment process along with a public service commission for Ladakh and separate Lok Sabha seats for Leh and Kargil districts.

The plea seeking permission to protest from October 8 to October 23 was filed days after the Delhi Police released Wangchuk and his supporters on October 2. They were detained by the Delhi Police on September 30 on Singhu Border, while leading the march.

After the denial, Wangchuk sat on fast, which he ended on October 21.

Wangchuk and other leaders had shared a copy of the order, which said that the high-powered committee (HPC) will hold its next meeting at the North block on December 3, 2024.

In the order, the home ministry official, who had informed the date and venue of the talks in Delhi had asked the advisor of the Ladakh lieutenant governor to inform the other members of the HPC.