Ladakh Statehood Movement Sparks Fierce Clashes
Leh: At least four people were killed and several others injured on Wednesday after violent clashes broke out between protesters and security forces in Leh, marking the bloodiest episode yet in Ladakh’s ongoing statehood movement.
According to officials, the unrest escalated when agitators demanding constitutional safeguards and statehood for the Union Territory attacked a BJP office, set ablaze a police van, and damaged several vehicles. Security forces opened fire after the situation spiraled out of control, leaving the region on edge.
The violence followed a shutdown call issued by the Leh Apex Body and the Kargil Democratic Alliance, two groups spearheading the movement for Ladakh’s statehood and inclusion under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.
#WATCH | Leh, Ladakh: A massive protest by the people of Ladakh demanding statehood and the inclusion of Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule turned into clashes with police in Leh. pic.twitter.com/VM3ICMkl4K
— ANI (@ANI) September 24, 2025
For the past two weeks, climate activist Sonam Wangchuk had been on a hunger strike in support of the demands. However, following the violent turn of events, Wangchuk called off his protest, saying he did not want to see more bloodshed.
The fresh unrest comes just days before a crucial October 6 meeting between Ladakhi representatives and the Centre to resume stalled dialogue over the region’s political future.
Since Ladakh was carved out of Jammu and Kashmir and made a Union Territory in 2019, resentment has been brewing against direct central rule. While the move was initially welcomed in Leh, it soon gave way to anger over the lack of political representation, fears of land alienation, and threats to the region’s unique cultural identity.
Over the past three years, the Leh Apex Body and Kargil Democratic Alliance have united Buddhist-majority Leh and Muslim-majority Kargil in joint protests, strikes, and hunger fasts. But repeated rounds of talks with New Delhi have failed to break the deadlock.
Wednesday’s clashes are now seen as a dangerous flashpoint in Ladakh’s statehood agitation, raising tensions ahead of the Centre’s talks with local leaders.
