Ladakh violence: Sonam Wangchuk says his imprisonment could cause more problems
Leh (PTI): Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk on Thursday said that his imprisonment could create more problems for the government than his freedom and called the home ministry's act of blaming him for recent violent protests in Ladakh a "scapegoat tactic".
Reacting to the MHA's statement, which had blamed him for provoking the mob violence on Wednesday, Wangchuk said he is prepared to be arrested under the stringent Public Safety Act (PSA).
"I see they are building up a case to bring me under the Public Safety Act and throw me in jail for two years," he told PTI over the phone and added that "I am ready for that, but Sonam Wangchuk in jail may cause them more problems than free Sonam Wangchuk."
The climate activist also said, "To say it (the violence) was instigated by me, or sometimes by Congress, is to find a scapegoat, rather than addressing the core of the problem, and this will lead us nowhere.
"They may be clever in making somebody else a scapegoat, but they are not wise. At this time, we all need wisdom rather than 'cleverness' because youths are already frustrated," said Wangchuk.
The activist strongly attributed the eruption of violence to anger over long-standing grievances, primarily the frustration among the region's youth and reasoned that the real cause is the "frustration of six years of unemployment and unmet promises at every level."
He accused the government of misleading the public by claiming success on partial job reservations, noting that the main demands for Statehood and the extension of the Sixth Schedule to protect Ladakh's tribal status and fragile environment remain "untouched after five years of peaceful appeals.
Wangchuk said that by employing the "scapegoat tactic," the government is "not actually taking measures for peace," but instead taking steps that will "further aggravate" the situation by diverting attention from the people's core demands.
The statehood for Ladakh movement led by Wangchuk descended into violence, arson and street clashes in Leh on Wednesday, leaving four people dead and at least 80 injured, including 40 police personnel, officials said.
As the sun set on what is arguably the worst day of violence since 1989 in the cold desert region, Wangchuk called off his fortnight-long hunger strike to press for the demands, while authorities clamped curfew in the Leh district.
Earlier in the day, groups of youths, indulging in arson and vandalism, targeted the headquarters of the BJP and the Hill Council and set vehicles ablaze.
Police and paramilitary forces, deployed in strength across the town, lobbed teargas shells to bring the situation under control, the officials said.
In a statement last night, the Union home ministry alleged that the mob violence was guided by the "provocative statements" of activist Wangchuk and certain "politically motivated" individuals, who were not happy with the progress made in the ongoing talks between the representatives of the government and Ladakhi groups.
The Ministry said barring a few unfortunate incidents that happened early on Wednesday, the situation was brought under control by 4 pm and asked everyone not to circulate old and provocative videos in the media and social media.
"It is well known that the Government of India has been actively engaged with the Leh Apex Body and Kargil Democratic Alliance. Series of meetings were held with them through formal channel of High Powered Committee (HPC) as well as sub-committee and multiple informal meetings with leaders," the statement issued on Wednesday had said.
"However, certain politically motivated individuals were not happy with the progress made under HPC and have been trying to sabotage the dialogue process," it said.
The next meeting of the High Powered Committee has been scheduled for October 6. Meetings are also planned for September 25 and 26, with leaders from Ladakh.
Terming the events as heart-wrenching, Lt Governor Kavinder Gupta had said everyone has the right to speak up in a peaceful manner in a democratic system, but what happened was not spontaneous and was the result of a conspiracy. “We will not spare those people who have spoiled the atmosphere here.”
Curfew has been imposed as a precautionary measure to prevent more casualties, he had said.
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UP Cong holds statewide protest seeking probe into FIR against Swami Avimukteshwaranand
Lucknow (PTI): The Uttar Pradesh Congress on Wednesday staged a statewide protest demanding a fair and transparent inquiry into the FIR lodged against Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati and those who filed the complaint against him.
In a statement issued here, the party said memorandums addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi were submitted through district magistrates in all districts of the state.
Uttar Pradesh Congress spokesperson Manish Hindvi told PTI that the memorandums were handed over through the district administration in all 75 districts.
In the memorandum, the party alleged that Saraswati and his disciples were "unnecessarily harassed and humiliated" by police on the occasion of Amavasya and were prevented from taking a ritual bath (at the Magh Mela). It further alleged that some disciples were manhandled and taken to a police station.
The memorandum also claimed that an FIR was later registered against Saraswati, his disciple Swami Mukundanand Brahmachari and several unidentified persons in a sexual harassment case. It termed the case a "conspiracy" aimed at tarnishing the seer's reputation.
Citing Articles 25 and 26 of the Constitution, the memorandum stated that these provisions guarantee religious freedom and the right of religious denominations to manage their own affairs.
It described the position of shankaracharya held by Saraswati as "one of the highest spiritual posts in Sanatan tradition" and alleged that the entire episode appeared to have been "orchestrated in a planned manner".
"We request that the background of the persons who got the FIR registered be investigated in a transparent manner by a retired high court judge and strict action be taken against them," the memorandum said.
It also sought a "fair and transparent probe" into the allegations levelled against Saraswati so that the truth could be established.
Earlier, Uttar Pradesh Congress president Ajay Rai had told reporters in Varanasi after meeting Saraswati that the party stood firmly with him.
The Congress said it would continue to press for an impartial inquiry into the entire episode.
On February 21, an FIR was lodged in Prayagraj against Saraswati and his disciple Mukundanand Brahmachari on charges of sexually abusing two persons, including a minor, over the past year at a gurukul and religious congregations, including the recently concluded Magh Mela.
Days after he was booked, Saraswati had said on Monday that he would not oppose his arrest and asserted that the "fabricated story" would be exposed sooner or later.
At a press conference on Wednesday, Saraswati alleged that criminals rule in Uttar Pradesh, level allegations and influence investigations, as he denied having any contact with the two persons for whose alleged sexual abuse he has been booked.
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