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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Putin meets Iran's FM Araghchi, says Russia ready to do its best to help bring peace to West Asia
Moscow (PTI): Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Monday met Russian President Vladimir Putin, who hailed the Iranian people for fighting bravely and heroically for their sovereignty and said Moscow is ready to do its best to help bring peace to West Asia as soon as possible.
Araghchi, who held talks with Omani and Pakistani leadership before arriving in Russia, met Putin in St. Petersburg and thanked him for supporting Iran, state-owned TASS news agency reported.
"Russia is ready to do everything in its power to ensure that peace in the Middle East is achieved as soon as possible," Putin said during his meeting with Araghchi, which was also attended by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
Revealing that he received a message from Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei last week, Putin asked Araghchi to convey his "gratitude for this message and best wishes for his health and well-being."
He praised the Iranian people for fighting "bravely and heroically" for their sovereignty, Iran's state-run PRESS TV reported.
"We really hope that, based on the courage and desire for independence, the Iranian people, under the guidance of the new leader, will weather this difficult period of trials and peace will come,” Putin said.
He also stressed that Russia “intends to maintain” its strategic relations with Iran.
Araghchi said that the world witnessed Iran’s strength in countering the US during the recent war, and that the Islamic Republic is a "stable and powerful establishment."
"With their courage, the Iranian people succeeded in resisting the US aggression and will be able to endure it,” he said.
He said that it became clear that Iran has “great friends and allies” like Russia, and conveyed “warmest greetings” from Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian to the Russian leader.
Araghchi said relations between Moscow and Tehran represent a “strategic partnership at the highest level” and will continue to develop "regardless of circumstances."
"We are grateful to you for the solid and strong positions in support of the Islamic Republic of Iran," he said.
Foreign Minister Lavrov said that the talks between President Putin and the Iranian Foreign Minister were "useful and constructive."
Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov later said that Russia is "ready to provide any good offices, any mediation services that are acceptable to the parties."
"We will be ready to do everything so that ultimately peace ensues, guaranteed peace, and that there is no return to hostilities," Peskov was quoted as saying by TASS.
He was asked how Moscow can assist in future negotiations on the Iranian settlement.
Araghchi arrived in Russia after his whirlwind trip to Islamabad, which, according to him, was “very productive” and involved “good consultations" with Pakistan's Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, amid uncertainty over the second round of peace talks to resolve the war in West Asia.
"We held good consultations with our friends in Pakistan. The trip was successful. We assessed the outcome of our recent (meetings) and discussed in what direction and under what conditions talks can move on,” Araghchi said in a video posted on his Telegram channel upon his arrival in St Petersburg.
Referring to the second round of talks between the US and Iran to resolve the conflict in West Asia, Araghchi said: "Developments have taken place in the negotiations."
"Despite some progress in earlier rounds, the talks failed to reach their objectives due to the Americans' approach, the excessive demands they made, and the wrong approaches they adopted. Therefore, it was necessary to consult with our friends in Pakistan to review the latest situation,” Iran's official news agency IRNA quoted him as saying.
He said that the trip to Pakistan was a good opportunity to review developments related to the US-Israeli war against Iran, expressing confidence that “these consultations and coordination between the two countries will be highly significant.”
Araghchi arrived at St. Petersburg's Pulkovo Airport early Monday, where he was welcomed by Russian officials and Iran’s ambassador to Russia, Kazem Jalali, the report said.
The first round of peace talks between Iran and the US, held on April 11 and 12, failed to bring the desired result for the parties to the conflict.
The Iranian minister arrived in Islamabad for the second time on Sunday after a short visit to Oman, where he held talks with Sultan Haitham bin Tariq al-Said on security in the Strait of Hormuz and diplomatic efforts to end the Iran-US conflict.
After Araghchi left Pakistan for Oman on Saturday, President Donald Trump announced that US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner would no longer be going to Islamabad for talks with Iran, contending that Washington held all the cards on the matter.
Trump on Sunday reiterated that the US and Iranian officials can talk by phone for a peace solution to the conflict.
On Tuesday, Trump extended the two-week ceasefire with Iran indefinitely to give Tehran more time to prepare a unified proposal to end the war, just hours before the truce was set to expire.
The war began when the US and Israel jointly attacked Iran on February 28, killing Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several top commanders. The retaliation by the Islamic Republic extended the war to the entire Gulf region.
