HC Issues Notice To Delhi Police As Sonam Wangchuk Seeks Court Intervention To Allow Protests At Jantar Mantar

The plea moved by the Ladakh body said that by denying permission, the Delhi police is suppressing their fundamental right and limiting their ability to engage in public discourse,

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday issued notice to the Delhi Police and sought its reply to the plea seeking permission to allow climate activist Sonam Wangchuk and his associates from Ladakh to hold peaceful protest at Jantar Mantar for raising environmental awareness and demanding Sixth Schedule status for Ladakh.

A division bench of Justices Prathiba M Singh and Justice Amit Sharma also issued notice to the Delhi Government.

The plea was moved by Apex Body Leh, an organisation that claims to be working to protect Ladakh's cultural environmental interests. The footmarch which was led by climate activist Sonam Wangchuk along with atleast 200 people from Ladakh was organised by this organisation. 

The plea moved by the Ladakh body said that by denying permission, the Delhi police is suppressing their fundamental right and limiting their ability to engage in public discourse, which undermines the principle of open expression. The plea further adds that the Delhi Police failed to provide any valid or reasonable grounds for rejecting the request for holding peaceful protest.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta appearing for told court that there was no urgency for holding the dharna and sought more time to file reply.

Last week, the Delhi High Court disposed three petitions seeking the release of Sonam Wangchuk and others and their production before the court following a submission from the petitioner that climate activist and other detainees have been released.

Climate activist Wangchuk and other volunteers embarked on a foot march from Leh to New Delhi on September 1 to urge the Centre to resume dialogue with Ladakh's leadership regarding their demands. Before being detained, the activist shared the news of his detention through microblogging website 'X' and said "I am being detained along with 150 padyatris at Delhi Border, by a police force of 100s some say 1000. Many elderly men & women in their 80s and few dozen Army veterans...Our fate is unknown.

One of their key demands is for Ladakh to be included in the sixth schedule of the Constitution, which would grant law-making powers to the local population which they say will help them protect their land and cultural identity. They are also seeking separate Lok Sabha seats for Leh and Kargil districts.

The matter will be heard on October 22.