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The Delhi Police, citing short notice and lack of a specific time frame for the protest, rejected Wangchuk’s request.
File photo of reformist Sonam Wangchuk sits with other protestors from Ladakh as they stage a protest at Jantar Mantar, in New Delhi. (Credit: PTI file)
New Delhi: Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk’s bid to sit on a fast at Jantar Mantar, demanding Sixth Schedule status for Ladakh, has been met with a frustrating rejection from Delhi Police.
In a post on X, Wangchuk expressed his disappointment, highlighting the irony of being denied the right to peaceful protest in the very country where Mahatma Gandhi led the independence movement. “Another rejection, another frustration. Finally this morning we got this rejection letter for the officially designated place for protests.”
ANOTHER REJECTION ANOTHER FRUSTRATION
Finally this morning we got this rejection letter for the officially designated place for protests.
If Jantar Mantar is not allowed then please tell us which place is allowed. We want to abide by all laws and still express our grievance in a… pic.twitter.com/FLnyCdA7KI— Sonam Wangchuk (@Wangchuk66) October 6, 2024
The Delhi Police, citing short notice and lack of a specific time frame for the protest, rejected Wangchuk’s request. The letter cited guidelines requiring applications for protests at Jantar Mantar to be submitted 10 days prior and to be held strictly between 10 am and 5 pm.
The Delhi Police, citing short notice and lack of a specific time frame for the protest, rejected Wangchuk’s request. The letter cited guidelines requiring applications for protests at Jantar Mantar to be submitted 10 days prior and to be held strictly between 10 am and 5 pm.
“If Jantar Mantar is not allowed, please tell us which place is allowed. We want to abide by all laws and still express our grievance in a peaceful way. Why is it so difficult to follow the path of Gandhi in his own country? There must be a way.”
While seeking an alternative venue for his fast, Wangchuk lamented the difficulty in finding a designated space for peaceful protest in a democracy. He questioned the lack of a designated space where citizens can express their grievances, mirroring the spirit of Mirza Ghalib’s poetry: “Let us sit on fast at Jantar Mantar, or tell us a place where there is no section imposed.”
The protest, organised by the Leh Apex Body, stems from a four-year-long agitation for statehood for Ladakh, inclusion in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, a public service commission for Ladakh, and separate Lok Sabha seats for Leh and Kargil districts.
Following a month-long “Delhi Chalo Padayatra” from Leh, the protesters were assured of an appointment with top leadership within two days after breaking their fast at Rajghat. However, the denial of this meeting led to the announcement of an indefinite fast.
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