'Weapon in his hand': BJP claims Congress councillor ‘instigated’ Ladakh 'Gen Z' protests, Sonam Wangchuk reacts

The BJP claims violence in Ladakh was incited by Congress, specifically councillor Stanzin Tsepang, to create unrest similar to Bangladesh.

The Bharatiya Janata Party has alleged that Wednesday's violence in Ladakh over the statehood demand was a part of the Congress's "nefarious design" to create situations similar to Bangladesh, Nepal and the Philippines.

Sharing a purported picture of the Congress leader, BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya wrote on X, “This man rioting in Ladakh is Phuntsog Stanzin Tsepag, Congress Councillor for Upper Leh Ward." (Amit Malviya/X)

At a press conference, BJP MP and national spokesperson Sambit Patra alleged that Congress councillor Stanzin Tsepang is the main instigator behind the Ladakh violence. The BJP MP said attempts were made to “portray” that protests were being led by Gen Z.

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"Today in Ladakh, an attempt was made to portray some protests as being led by 'Gen Z' but when an investigation was carried out, it was found that this was not a Gen Z protest but actually a Congress protest," Sambit Patra told reporters at the party headquarters in New Delhi.

"Stanzin Tsepang is the councillor from the Upper Leh ward. He is the main instigator, and numerous photos have surfaced of him and his workers instigating the violence. He can also be seen marching towards the BJP office with a weapon in his hand. He is instigating the mob and targeting the BJP office. A video of this has also surfaced, and the BJP has also posted it. Councillor Stanzin Tsepang is with Rahul Gandhi," Patra said.

The ruling party's charge came after the movement for the demand of statehood to Ladakh and the Union Territory's inclusion in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution descended into violence, arson and street clashes in Leh, killing four people and injuring at least 80, including 40 police personnel.

Some protesters threw stones at officers as police tried to stop them from marching in Leh. Others set ablaze a paramilitary vehicle and the local office of Bharatiya Janata Party, police said.

Police fired bullets and tear gas, and swung batons at the demonstrators, injuring dozens of them, police and residents said. Four among some of the critically injured later died, they said.

Kavinder Gupta, Lt Governor of Ladakh, called the clashes a conspiracy and vowed to act against all those involved in the violence. Soon, the police registered an FIR and named the Congress councillor for his alleged involvement in violence and arson, NDTV reported.

"The Congress has a nefarious design. It's Congress' conspiracy. 'Bharat tere tukde honge Inshallah, Inshallah' is the Congress' main line… This is Rahul Gandhi's plan with George Soros. Since they cannot win through the people, they conspire to break the country," Patra said.

"Rahul Gandhi repeatedly incites youth to create conditions like those that occurred in Bangladesh and Nepal, and are happening now in the Philippines, to bring similar circumstances to India," he said, asking, "What kind of leadership is this for the Congress?"

Patra asked the Congress and Gandhi to bear in mind that such efforts will not succeed in India.

Sharing a purported picture of the Congress leader, BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya claimed on X, “This man rioting in Ladakh is Phuntsog Stanzin Tsepag, Congress Councillor for Upper Leh Ward. He can be clearly seen instigating the mob and participating in violence that targeted the BJP office and the Hill Council. Is this the kind of unrest Rahul Gandhi has been fantasising about?”

HT.com couldn't independently verify the authenticity of the claim.

How Sonam Wangchuk reacted

Activist Sonam Wangchuk, however, dismissed these allegations and said that he doesn't believe the Congress holds such influence over Ladakh youths to mobilise them for protests.

"The Congress doesn't have such influence here that it can manage to get 5,000 youth on the roads," Wangchuk said in a press conference.

Wangchuk added that the councillor did deliver a remark in anger because the two people who were hospitalised on Tuesday belonged to his village, but believed that the Congress does not have enough hold to influence the youth.

"A Congress councillor yesterday reached a hospital in anger because two people from his village were hospitalised, but Congress does not have such influence," he said.

He also ended his 15-day hunger strike after clashes erupted in Leh over the demands of statehood and the inclusion of Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule.

Wangchuk expressed sadness over the incidents of violence in Leh and blamed the frustration building among the "Gen Z" for the violence in which four youths were killed.

Wangchuk said two of the protesters, a 72-year-old man and a woman (62), were taken to a hospital on Tuesday, and claimed that it was most likely the immediate trigger for the violent protest.

Giving the sequence of events, he said a large number of 'Gen Z' youths came to the protest site on Wednesday, where prayers were being held. He said 2,000-5,000 youth then took to the streets.

The activist stressed that the indirect reason for the violence was the frustration building among the youths as their peaceful protests over the last five years had not yielded any results. The October 6 date given by the home ministry for holding a meeting with the groups from Ladakh also created dissatisfaction among the people, he said.

"No one knew something like this would happen. Thousands came out and this situation was created," he said.

"The Gen Z, who took to the streets, we had not even seen them at the protest. This was a general complaint here that the youths are not participating in the protest," he added.

There has been a demand for statehood for Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370.