Wangchuk seeks Amit Shah's resignation over Leh firing, says he fears being killed in 'encounter'
Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk on Thursday (September 24, 2026) demanded the resignation of Union Home Minister Amit Shah over the police firing in Leh a year ago that killed four people, and said he feared he could be killed in an "encounter" for speaking out against the government.
Addressing a gathering in Ladakh on the first anniversary of the September 24, 2025 violence, Mr. Wangchuk said he had received warnings about threats to his life and was prepared to face any outcome. "They have put me in jail. Now there is even a possibility that I could be encountered somewhere. People tell me, 'You will be encountered'. If that happens, let it happen — so that the country wakes up," he said. The apprehension is his own; no official body has confirmed such a threat.
Mr. Wangchuk, known for his work on artificial glaciers in Ladakh, has led earlier campaigns for the region's constitutional safeguards and was detained in September 2024 while leading a march to Delhi. The protests a year ago were part of a longer campaign in Ladakh for statehood and for safeguards under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, which provides for autonomous councils in certain tribal areas.
The Ministry of Home Affairs had ordered a judicial inquiry headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice B. S. Chauhan into the circumstances leading to the September 24, 2025 law-and-order situation, the police action and the deaths of four people. Mr. Wangchuk demanded that the inquiry report be made public, and warned that an independent "people's tribunal" would be constituted to probe the police firing if it is not released.
Holding the Home Minister politically responsible for the deaths, he said: "Today, from Ladakh, I say — Amit Shah should resign. He has to take responsibility for what happened in Ladakh." He alleged that security personnel used automatic weapons, including AK-47s, against local youth, who were subsequently branded "anti-national". These allegations could not be independently verified.
Referring to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's demand for Mr. Shah's resignation over police action against students at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, Mr. Wangchuk said he supported the call but questioned Mr. Gandhi's silence over Ladakh. "If he demanded Amit Shah's resignation earlier, then what about what happened in Ladakh, where AK-47s were used and people were killed, with bullets hitting their heads and chests?" he said.
Terming the allegations "false, baseless and misleading", the Ladakh Police said no one had been stopped from attending the commemorative events.
A shutdown was observed in Leh and other parts of Ladakh on Wednesday (September 23, 2026), the eve of the anniversary. Shops and business establishments remained closed in Leh and Kargil, and traffic was thin, affecting normal life. Some in Ladakh observed the day as "Martyrs' Day".
Mr. Wangchuk alleged that heavy security deployment and restrictions had contributed to relatively low public participation in Thursday's commemoration. "People are afraid because there are barricades everywhere and armed personnel have been deployed in villages and at crossings," he alleged, adding that some village representatives and students were being discouraged from attending programmes in memory of those killed. He said the limited participation should not be interpreted as a defeat for the movement.
He added that justice for Ladakh was not merely the responsibility of the people of the Union Territory but of the entire country.
