Srinagar, September 26, 2025 : Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday termed the arrest of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk as “unfortunate” and accused the BJP-led NDA government of going back on the promises made to the people of Ladakh.
“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 said while speaking on the sidelines of the Junior Asian Pencak Silat Championship in Srinagar.
He recalled that promises were made to Ladakh’s people during the 2020 Hill Council elections in Leh to encourage participation. “Not only did people participate in huge numbers, but they made BJP win. But the promises were not kept — just like they weren’t kept with us,” Abdullah remarked.
Wangchuk’s Arrest & Ladakh Protests
Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, a senior member of the Leh Apex Body (LAB), was arrested on Friday — two days after violent protests in Ladakh left four people dead and nearly 90 injured. Along with the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), the LAB has been spearheading the agitation for over five years, demanding statehood for Ladakh and inclusion under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.
While the Home Ministry blamed Wangchuk for allegedly provoking the violence, Abdullah defended him, saying, “Promises were made with the people there… I don’t understand what compulsions the Central government has to backtrack.”
On J&K Statehood
Abdullah also linked the situation in Ladakh to the unfulfilled promise of restoring Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood after assembly elections. He questioned whether denial of statehood was politically motivated:
“Are the people of J&K being kept away from statehood just because they didn’t elect BJP to power? If that is the case, they should openly say till BJP doesn’t form government in J&K, statehood will not be restored.”
Responding to allegations by LoP Sunil Sharma that he was justifying Ladakh’s violence, Abdullah said the BJP MLA had a habit of shifting blame onto others.
