Sonam Wangchuk
The Delhi High Court on Tuesday has dismissed a petition seeking permission for climate activist Sonam Wangchuk and others to hold a peaceful protest at Jantar Mantar.
Counsel for the petitioner, Apex Body Leh, stated they no longer wished to pursue the plea as the protest had been withdrawn following discussions with authorities.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Delhi Police, noted that Wangchuk had also ended his fast, suggesting that the petition might not be necessary.
Wangchuk had been on an indefinite fast at Delhi’s Ladakh Bhawan since October 6 but concluded it on Monday evening after receiving assurances from the Home Ministry that talks regarding Ladakh’s demands would resume in December.
In light of these developments, a bench of Justices Prathiba M. Singh and Amit Sharma stated, “Petition is dismissed as withdrawn.”
Wangchuk and his associates traveled to the national capital to advocate for the inclusion of Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution. They were detained at Delhi’s Singhu border but released on the night of October 2.
The march was organized by the Apex Body Leh in collaboration with the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), which has been leading a four-year agitation for statehood for Ladakh, inclusion under the Sixth Schedule, early recruitment processes, a public service commission for Ladakh, and separate Lok Sabha seats for Leh and Kargil districts.
The Sixth Schedule pertains to the administration of tribal areas in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Mizoram as “autonomous districts and autonomous regions.”
On October 21, Joint Secretary of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, Prashant Lokhande, met with the activists, presenting them with a letter from the Home Ministry stating that the high-powered committee would meet with Ladakh representatives again on December 3.
Following this communication, Wangchuk and his supporters decided to end their fast and cancel the planned sit-in.
Previously on October 9, the High Court instructed the Delhi Police to respond to the petition requesting permission for the protest at Jantar Mantar.
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