Wangchuk being treated as 'criminal' without any reason, alleges wife Gitanjali Angmo
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Leh (PTI): "He was treated like a criminal without any reason," was an angry outburst from Gitanjali Angmo, the wife of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, who was arrested from his village Ulyaktopo two days after violent protests in Leh over demands for statehood and constitutional safeguards, leaving four people dead and 59 others injured.
Wangchuk was arrested on Friday by a police party led by Ladakh DGP S D Singh Jamwal. The Home Ministry blamed Wangchuk for making "provocative statements" that led to Wednesday's violence, a charge the activist has consistently denied.
Angmo, who is also the co-founder of HIAL (Himalayan Institute of Alternatives, Ladakh), fiercely condemned her husband's detention and accused the government of spreading "false narratives" to tarnish his image.
She alleged that their house was "ransacked by the police" and alleged that Wangchuk was being unjustly portrayed as "anti-national".
"It is the worst form of democracy... without any trial, without any reason, they have just taken him like a criminal," Angmo told PTI.
She escalated her criticism beyond the arrest, accusing the government of deliberately damaging her husband's reputation.
"The government should not stoop to this level to tarnish somebody's image who has been peacefully protesting for the past five years, who has contributed to national glory more than anybody else, be it through Rolex Awards or, you know, the work that he has been doing in agriculture and environment, to UNDP and everywhere," she said.
"If this is how intellectuals and innovators are treated, then God save this country from becoming anything but a Vishwaguru," she said.
Angmo also slammed the ruling BJP at the Centre, saying "please tell them not to call themselves Hindu... because the basis of Hinduism is all truth".
Identifying herself as a practising Hindu, Wangchuk's wife questioned the BJP's principles, saying, "They are not Hindus in any way. The BJP is not Hindu because its foundation is falsehood."
"I am somebody who teaches the Vedas, Vedanta and the Bhagavad Gita in the light of Sri Aurobindo. I am a teacher and student of the Vedas and Vedanta and this is not the India Sri Aurobindo dreamt about and this is not the Hinduism that Vedas and Vedanta talk about," she said.
Angmo reiterated her protest and challenged anyone from the Centre to a live, prime-time television debate on the allegations levelled against her husband, including issues related to the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) and CBI inquiries.
"I challenge them to come on Prime Time TV to have a one-on-one debate with me about all the allegations," she said.
"Let them not spread false narratives as they are doing. Let them not use their power and use the entire state and national machinery to just go after one man."
She further criticised the ruling BJP, saying, "Their foundation is falsehood... This is not the India which Sri Aurobindo dreamt about."
The specific charges pressed against him remain unclear.
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No unannounced load shedding in Kerala, outages due to overload, says Minister
Palakkad (PTI): Kerala Electricity Minister K Krishnankutty on Saturday said there was no unannounced load shedding in the state, attributing recent power interruptions to temporary overload caused by high consumption.
Clarifying concerns raised from various parts of the state, the minister said the disruptions are not deliberate but occur when demand peaks, particularly between 10 pm and 11 pm.
"It is not being done intentionally. Power consumption has risen sharply, and when there is excessive and indiscriminate usage, the system experiences overload, leading to natural supply interruptions," he told reporters here.
His remarks come amid complaints that several areas have been witnessing frequent power cuts, often lasting around 15 minutes and occurring multiple times during the night.
Krishnankutty said the state's power demand has crossed 6,195 MW, putting pressure on the supply system. He added that around 70 per cent of Kerala's electricity is procured from outside, and existing power banking arrangements have been exhausted.
"We have approached the Regulatory Commission seeking permission to purchase more power. However, this will come at a higher cost," he said.
The minister said the government is trying to avoid increasing electricity tariffs and urged consumers to exercise restraint in usage to help manage the situation.
Responding to opposition criticism over the ruling LDF's earlier claims of a decade without power cuts, he said the current situation is not unique to Kerala.
A power crisis is emerging across the country, he said, and sarcastically asked the Opposition to take note of the role of natural factors in this.
Krishnankutty expressed confidence that the situation would improve within two days, while cautioning that long-term energy security would depend on enhancing in-state power generation.
He also warned that future generations could face serious challenges if adequate electricity production capacity is not developed within Kerala.
