Rahul says PM 'betrayed' people of Ladakh, demands judicial probe into police firing fatalities
New Delhi (PTI): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had "betrayed" the people of Ladakh and demanded an impartial judicial probe into the death of four protesters in police firing in the union territory.
Among those killed in Ladakh on Wednesday was Kargil war veteran Tsewang Tharchin.
The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, who is on a four-nation tour of South America, posted on X a video of Tharchin's father and said, "Father in the army, son in the army - patriotism runs in their blood. Yet the BJP government shot and killed this brave son of the nation, simply because he stood up for Ladakh and his rights."
The father's pain-filled eyes ask one question, is this the reward for serving the nation today, Gandhi said in his post in Hindi.
"We demand that an impartial judicial inquiry be conducted into these killings in Ladakh, and the culprits be given the harshest punishment...
पिता फौजी, बेटा भी फौजी - जिनके खून में देशभक्ति बसी है।
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) September 30, 2025
फिर भी BJP सरकार ने देश के वीर बेटे की गोली मारकर जान ले ली, सिर्फ इसलिए क्योंकि वो लद्दाख और अपने अधिकार के लिए खड़ा था।
पिता की दर्द भरी आंखें बस एक सवाल कर रही हैं - क्या आज देशसेवा का यही सिला है?
हमारी मांग है कि… pic.twitter.com/cJqKstISjg
"(Prime Minister Narendra) Modi ji, you have betrayed the people of Ladakh. They are demanding their rights. Communicate with them - stop the politics of violence and fear," the former Congress president said.
The Congress on Monday had said it was outrageous that ex-serviceman Tharchin was among those killed in firing by the security forces in Ladakh. In a post on X, Congress general secretary, in-charge, communications, Jairam Ramesh said Tharchin served at the Siachen Glacier and fought valiantly in the 1999 Kargil War.
His father, too, served in the Indian Army, he said.
"Tsewang Tharchin was protesting peacefully for Sixth Schedule status for Ladakh. It should be a matter of the deepest anguish and outrage that he was killed along with three others in the firing on the agitationists five days back," Ramesh said.
On Wednesday, September 24, four people were killed in police firing and scores of others were injured when a protest for statehood for Ladakh turned violent. Protesters set a local BJP office on fire and allegedly pelted police and CRPF with stones.
On September 26, climate activist Sonam Wangchuk was detained under the National Security Act on Friday and subsequently lodged in Jodhpur jail in Rajasthan
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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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