Sonam Wangchuk Placed Under House Arrest as Ladakh Protests Winter Poll Schedule

Climate activist and Leh Apex Body member Sonam Wangchuk was placed under house arrest on Thursday as protests began against the December 4 Ladakh hill council polls. Police removed him from a protest site in Leh late Wednesday, and the Leh SSP later issued preventive orders, citing concerns about public order. Wangchuk said dozens of armed guards surrounded his house. A ban on protests was imposed ahead of the hill council polls and municipal and panchayat elections scheduled for November 21. Wangchuk and other Leh Apex Body members appealed to President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah to defer the polls, citing harsh winter conditions and voter exclusion.