Leh: The Ladakh police have denied the direct involvement of Congress councillor Phuntsog Stanzin Tsepag in Wednesday’s violence in Leh, in which four persons were killed allegedly in police firing.
Shortly after the violence broke out, BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya had blamed the Congress, posting a video and photos 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?”
Speaking to ThePrint Friday, Leh Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Stanzin Norboo said the man seen in the video wasn’t Tsepag.
Asked if he was the councillor’s relative, Norboo said: “We are yet to confirm his identity properly. For now, it appears that his father was in the security forces and is a civilian. He isn’t Phuntsog Stanzin Tsepag.”
ThePrint has reached out Tsepag via calls and messages and a response is awaited.
Four persons died in the violence, including a former serviceman, and more than 70 others were injured, including over 30 police and paramilitary personnel. A First Information Report has been filed under sections relating to rioting and arson, among others, on six different incidents that took place in the few hours till things were brought under control around 5 pm Wednesday.
Over 40 people have been apprehended, including former servicemen, who were part of the protests over demands for statehood and extension of the Sixth Schedule to Ladakh that turned violent.
The police are on the lookout for two persons they believe are directly linked to the violence. They don’t have direct links with any political organisation and are suspected to be working with civil society groups, according to the police.
Norboo said the immediate trigger for Wednesday’s protest and subsequent violence were emotional speeches given by Leh Apex Body Youth Co-ordinator Stanzin Chophel, Ladakh Buddhist Association vice-president Rigzin Dorjay, activist Sonam Wangchuck as well as Congress councillors Tsepag and Smanla Dorje Nurboo.
“We have video footage of some of them even saying they don’t believe in hunger strikes. The mobilisation started at a grand scale then and spread through social media and word of mouth. The leaders told the youth—look at the elderly making sacrifices for Ladakh,” he told ThePrint.
Police officials said the 35-day hunger strike by youth from the Leh Apex Body had so far only witnessed a crowd of 140-400 on a daily basis, until Wednesday when things turned bloody.
The Leh Apex Body, which has been spearheading the protests, has maintained that the youth have been angry with the administration, adding that police resorted to firing which made matters worse. The body is a coalition of various religious, social and political groups in Ladakh, including the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA). Wangchuck is also a member of the body.
“Congress leaders did make fiery and emotional speeches but so far we haven’t found direct participation in the rioting and arson incidents,” the SSP said.
Wednesday’s procession turned violent near Cheetah chowk and the mob attacked the local BJP office nearby. The mob also attempted to attack the Secretariat of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council and set several police vehicles on fire. The chaos, according to the SSP, started around 10.30 am, and things turned ugly at noon until it was contained around 5 pm. So far, those apprehended include civilians and former servicemen.
(Edited by Nida Fatima Siddiqui)
Also Read: ‘Police fired in self defence’—Leh violence leaves 4 dead, MHA says Wangchuk ‘instigated’ unrest