Omar Abdullah Slams Centre Over Sonam Wangchuk’s Arrest, Says BJP “Backtracked on Promises”

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday termed the arrest of renowned climate activist Sonam Wangchuk as “unfortunate” and accused the BJP-led NDA government of betraying the people of Ladakh by failing to keep its promises.

“This (Wangchuk’s arrest) is unfortunate. The way the Central government was after him since yesterday, it seemed they would do something like this,” Abdullah told reporters on the sidelines of the third Junior Asian Pencak Silat Championship.

He further said, “Promises were made with the people there… I don’t understand what compulsions does the Central government have to backtrack after making promises.”

Wangchuk, a senior member of the Leh Apex Body (LAB) spearheading the movement alongside the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) for statehood for Ladakh and inclusion under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, was arrested on Friday—just two days after violent protests in Ladakh left four people dead and 90 others injured. The Home Ministry accused him of provocation leading to the violence, but charges against him remain unclear.

Abdullah reminded that before the Hill Council elections in Leh in 2020, people had threatened to boycott the polls until a Union minister assured them of statehood and constitutional safeguards. “People then participated in huge numbers and even made BJP win. But the promises were not kept, same as with us,” he said.

Drawing parallels with Jammu and Kashmir, Abdullah noted that the Union government had also promised restoration of J&K’s statehood after assembly elections, yet the commitment remains unfulfilled.

“Are the people of J&K being denied statehood just because they didn’t elect the BJP to power? If that is the case, then they should tell the court that till BJP doesn’t form the government in J&K, statehood will not be restored,” he remarked.

Responding to Leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma’s allegation that he was “justifying violence in Ladakh,” Abdullah hit back, saying, “The BJP MLA always pins the blame on others.”