Protests over the arrest of social activist Sonam Wangchuk spread from Ladakh to the national capital on Friday evening, as the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) held a candle march in Delhi. Led by Delhi State President Saurabh Bharadwaj, a large number of AAP karyakartas marched with candles, chanting slogans against the BJP and the Modi Government.
The AAP Delhi unit chief hit out at the Centre, pointing out that while Sonam Wangchuk has never made a statement inciting violence yet is being branded a traitor, BJP leader Kapil Mishra openly delivered incendiary speeches in Delhi that triggered riots and claimed several lives—yet no FIR was ever filed against him.
During the candle march in solidarity with Ladakh’s people, AAP Delhi State President Saurabh Bharadwaj said, “Sonam Wangchuk is the inspiration behind the film 3 Idiots. The whole of Ladakh knows about his selfless service to society. Children who fail in school learn the art of employment at his institute. When the Government of India was claiming that no one had intruded into Indian territory, Ladakhi shepherds were fighting off Chinese infiltrators in border areas. During that time, China was occupying thousands of kilometers of Indian land.”
The AAP Delhi unit chief pointed out, stating: “Ladakh has always been a border region where the people of Ladakh and Kargil have stood firm against Chinese forces and fought for the country. They are even willing to sacrifice their lives to stop Chinese incursions.”
He added that Ladakh’s people have been peacefully demanding their rights for the past five years, but the Modi government has only deceived them. “Despite multiple hunger strikes and hundreds of Ladakhis walking 800 kilometers to Delhi, the government repeatedly refused to listen. And now, because a few people in Ladakh allegedly indulged in violence, the Modi government has slapped NSA on Sonam Wangchuk. This is the same law that Indira Gandhi enacted in 1980 and which the BJP itself had opposed. How can a Gandhian like Sonam Wangchuk suddenly become a threat to national security?” he asked.
Saurabh Bharadwaj called out the hypocrisy of the BJP by recalling the role of its leader Kapil Mishra in the Delhi riots. “Kapil Mishra incited violence in Delhi, where more than 40 people were killed. His inflammatory speech is still available in the public domain. Yet, no FIR has ever been filed against him. Shockingly, the High Court judge who ordered an FIR against Mishra was transferred overnight. On the other hand, a Gandhian like Sonam Wangchuk, who always advocates for peace and follows the path of Mahatma Gandhi, has been booked under NSA. This is an outrageous double standard,” he declared.
The senior AAP leader warned that the Modi government’s actions against the people of border states are dangerous for national security. “If the Modi government humiliates the people of border states and labels them traitors, it is compromising the security of the nation’s frontiers. Sonam Wangchuk is not a traitor. The real traitors are those sitting in the central government who are playing games with border states one after another. They toyed with Kashmir, now they are doing the same with Ladakh,” he said.
“The Modi government has failed to control Manipur, and now it is endangering the entire country’s security. The consequences of this reckless governance will be borne by the entire nation,” Saurabh Bharadwaj warned.
He challenged the government to present evidence if it believes Sonam Wangchuk incited violence. “If Sonam Wangchuk really incited violence, show even a single video where he is doing so. On the other hand, every child in this country has seen the video of BJP leader Kapil Mishra standing with the DCP and openly instigating violence, in which more than 40 people were killed. Yet the police have not had the courage to file an FIR against him. The High Court judge who directed action against Mishra was transferred overnight. This is a shameful and alarming situation,” he said.
Saurabh Bharadwaj concluded by demanding the immediate withdrawal of NSA against Sonam Wangchuk and urged the Modi government to respect the democratic rights of the people of Ladakh rather than treating them as enemies.
