Sonam Wangchuk's wife Gitanjali dubs 'Pakistan link' charge as 'false, defamatory''

Ladakh: Holding security forces responsible for the statehood protests turning violent in Leh, jailed activist Sonam Wangchuk's wife, Gitanjali Angmo, has hit back at allegations that he has “links” with Pakistan or embezzled money through his organisations.

In a post on X, she said, "The Pakistan narrative about Sonam Wangchuk is false and defamatory. We were invited for a UN climate conference where he praised Mr Modi for initiatives like Simply Life."

https://x.com/GitanjaliAngmo/status/1972210586533691454

She also attached a video of Wangchuk speaking at a programme named ‘Breathe Pakistan’ conference held in February which was organised by United Nations Pakistan chapter and Dawn Media, and involved multinational cooperation.

Her remarks came a day after Ladakh Director General of Police S D Singh Jamwal said Wangchuk was being probed for allegedly having links with Pakistan after he was arrested under the NSA on Friday, two days after protests demanding statehood for the Union Territory resulted in violence.

The DGP said Wangchuk is being probed in the context of last month's arrest of a Pakistani Intelligence Operative who sent videos of his protests across the border.

The police chief accused Wangchuk of being the key person behind Wednesday's violence that resulted in the killing of four people when police opened fire at youth protesting in support of long-standing demands of statehood for Ladakh and inclusion in the Sixth Schedule.

Two days after the violence, which also left more than 80 injured, Leh police detained Wangchuk near his residence under the NSA, 1980, which allows detention for up to 12 months without trial. The Ramon Magsaysay awardee was later moved to Jodhpur Central Jail.

"What has been found in the investigation (against Wangchuk) cannot be disclosed at this moment. The process is going on, and if you look at his profile and history, it is all available on YouTube. His speech worked as an instigation as he talked about the Arab spring and the recent unrest in Nepal, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka," the DGP claimed.

"He had his own agenda. There is a probe of foreign funding, violation of FCRA against him... We have a PIO with us who was reporting across the border, sending videos of the protests led by Wangchuk," he said.

The police chief also cited some of Wangchuk's foreign visits, and termed them as suspicious.

"He attended an event by The Dawn in Pakistan and also visited Bangladesh," Jamwal told the media.

Meanwhile, the Ladakh administration has defended its decision to shift the climate activist to Jodhpur jail in Rajasthan, claiming that he was “indulging in activities prejudicial to the security of the State” and that keeping him in Leh was “not advisable in the larger public interest.”

Following Wangchuk's arrest, authorities suspended mobile internet services in Leh, where curfew remains in place for a fourth straight day.

"There was no untoward incident reported from anywhere in Ladakh during the past 24 hours. The restrictions are in place to maintain law and order," an official said.