The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has called on every Indian to unite against what it described as the Modi Government’s brazen misuse of the National Security Act (NSA) in the arrest of renowned educationist Sonam Wangchuk. Senior AAP leader Durgesh Pathak said the action against Wangchuk was “completely unjust,” warning that the Centre has ushered in a dangerous trend where anyone who dares to question it is jailed on false charges.
The senior AAP leader reminded that the BJP had itself promised full statehood for Ladakh, yet when the people now demand it, they are branded as dissenters. AAP has demanded Wangchuk’s immediate release, withdrawal of the NSA against him, and fulfilment of Ladakh’s rightful aspirations.
At a press conference held at the AAP headquarters on Saturday, senior leader Durgesh Pathak said that the developments of the last two to three days are deeply disturbing and strike at the very roots of Indian democracy. “This episode reflects the dictatorial character of the Modi Government. For years, the people of Ladakh have been demanding full statehood instead of Union Territory status. They have also been demanding the implementation of the Sixth Schedule so that Ladakhis, through their democratic right to vote, can elect their own government and hold it accountable,” he said.
Durgesh Pathak noted that the entire movement is being led by renowned environmentalist Sonam Wangchuk, a figure every Indian takes pride in. He recalled that Sonam Wangchuk had repeatedly undertaken fasts demanding statehood for Ladakh, walked from Ladakh to Delhi, and even sat on a 15-day hunger strike. “Sonam Wangchuk has been honoured with the Ramon Magsaysay Award, often called Asia’s Nobel Prize. More than eight universities have conferred upon him honorary doctorates. Even the Modi Government itself has presented him with numerous awards. Yet, on Friday, this very government slapped NSA charges on him and had him arrested, branding him anti-national and accusing him of working against India. This is shameful,” Durgesh Pathak declared.
The senior AAP leader pointed out that in recent years, a dangerous pattern has become visible across the country: “Anyone who speaks against the BJP or the Modi Government is easily trapped under some law and thrown into jail. Through such actions, the BJP is trying to send out a message that no one can question or criticise the Modi Government.” Durgesh Pathak reminded that the BJP had promised full statehood for Ladakh in its manifesto, but now when the people demand only what was promised to them, they are being suppressed.
Appealing to the conscience of the nation, Durgesh Pathak said, “AAP calls upon every Indian who loves this country and cherishes the values of Indian democracy to oppose the arrest of Sonam Wangchuk. The government is setting a new precedent—first they will disenfranchise the common man by deleting votes, and if that fails and people raise their voice on social media, they will jail them. This action of the Modi Government is against Indian democracy. If Babasaheb Ambedkar, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel were alive today, they would have been ashamed of such an act.”
Durgesh Pathak further said, “Every Indian who loves the country must understand that the action against Sonam Wangchuk is entirely wrong. He is a role model for every patriot, yet he has been jailed under NSA. By doing this, the Modi Government has mocked Indian democracy. Sitting at the Centre, it is going to any extent to silence the Opposition. AAP demands Sonam Wangchuk’s immediate release, withdrawal of NSA against him, and fulfilment of Ladakh’s rightful demands.”
Recalling a historic example, Durgesh Pathak narrated: “In 1984, Sonam Wangchuk’s father had gone on a hunger strike demanding Scheduled Tribe status for the people of Ladakh. Ladakh is a backward region. When then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi came to know about his fast, she herself went to meet him and persuaded him to end it. Today, we have before us two examples of Prime Ministers—Indira Gandhi, who went in person to meet a fasting leader, and Narendra Modi, who drunk on power, imposes NSA on his son and jails him. This is completely wrong, and every Indian must oppose this action.”
