The Delhi High Court on Wednesday orders the Delhi police’s stance on a plea for climate activist Sonam Wangchuk and others to hold a peaceful protest at Jantar Mantar.
A bench comprising Justices Prathiba M Singh and Amit Sharma issued a notice to both the police and the Delhi government, asking for their responses to the petition. The hearing is scheduled for October 22.
Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta, representing the Delhi Police, stated that there was no urgency regarding the matter. The plea argues that the Delhi Police had not provided valid grounds for denying the protest request.
Previously, Wangchuk and his associates from Ladakh marched to the national capital to advocate for the inclusion of Ladakh under the 6th Schedule of the Constitution, which pertains to the governance of tribal areas in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Mizoram as “autonomous districts and regions.”
They were reportedly detained by local police at a Delhi border on September 30 but were later released.
The court’s request for a response underscores the ongoing discussions around the rights to peaceful assembly and the significance of local governance for Ladakh.