‘Big victory’, says Leh Apex Body as leaders welcome Wangchuk’s release

The Centre on Saturday (March 14) said it had revoked with immediate effect the detention of Wangchuk under the National Security Act (NSA), nearly six months after he was arrested following violent protests in Leh that left four dead. The decision, which the Centre said was to foster peace in Ladakh, comes days after the Supreme Court on Tuesday adjourned to March 17 the hearing on a plea filed by the activist's wife, Gitanjali J Angmo, challenging his detention.

Wangchuk was detained on September 26, 2025, two days after the protests over demands for statehood for Ladakh and its inclusion under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution rocked Leh.

Leaders from Ladakh on Saturday (March 14) welcomed climate activist Sonam Wangchuk's release from Jodhpur jail and demanded the release of remaining detainees.

Protest a Constitutional right: Ladakh MP Hanifa

Ladakh MP Mohamad Hanifa hailed his release and urged the government to accept their demands for statehood and protection under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.

"We welcome the release of Sonam Wangchuk. But others also need to be released, and the government should also take back the cases filed against people who participated in the protests," Hanifa told PTI.

Also Read: Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk released after Centre revokes NSA detention

Hanifa, however, said protest is a Constitutional right, and urged the government to resolve the issue through dialogue.

‘Ladakh stands vindicated’: Leh Apex Body

The Leh Apex Body (LAB) described the decision of his release as a “big victory” for the people of Ladakh, saying it vindicated their stand on his innocence and removed the “anti-national” blot on the region.

LAB co-chairman Chering Dorjey said the government "saved its face" by revoking Wangchuk’s detention ahead of the Supreme Court hearing later this month, asserting that the peaceful struggle for statehood for Ladakh and its inclusion in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution will continue.

Also Read: Sonam Wangchuk to be released as govt revokes detention under NSA

“This is not just about Wangchuk but about the whole of Ladakh. We had maintained from the start that the allegations against him, including the anti-national charge, were baseless. Today, Ladakh stands vindicated. We welcome the decision, and it will give fresh momentum to our movement,” Dorjey told reporters in Leh.

‘People hurt by anti-national allegations’

Calling the development a major relief, Dorjey said the people of Ladakh felt hurt by the anti-national allegations made against them.

“We are among the most nationalist people in the country, yet we were branded anti-national for the first time. It was a serious blot on Ladakh… We believe the case was withdrawn before the March 17 hearing as the same outcome was expected from the Supreme Court,” the LAB leader said.

Dorjey said their main demands remained unchanged and the struggle would continue, asserting that the group will take a call on the proposed protest rally in both Leh and Kargil on March 16 in the wake of an appeal by Chief Secretary Ashish Kundra.

‘Decision made amid mounting pressure’: J&K Congress

The Jammu and Kashmir Congress on Saturday welcomed the revocation of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk's detention by the Centre, claiming that the decision was taken amid mounting pressure from his case in the Supreme Court and growing public support in Ladakh.

Also Read: Wangchuk not given videos which formed basis of his detention: Wife to SC

The party, however, raised serious questions over the circumstances that led to his detention for more than six months "without clear justification", while also pushing for the release of Aam Aadmi Party MLA Mehraj Malik, who was detained under Public Safety Act (PSA) in September last year.

Gehlot questions Modi govt working style

Former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot on Saturday questioned the Centre over the detention of activist Sonam Wangchuk, saying the entire matter raises serious concerns about the functioning of the Union government. He said the news of Wangchuk's release was welcome, but the entire episode raised questions about the working style of the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"It is ironic that Wangchuk, who once supported the policies of the prime minister, was booked under stringent provisions of the National Security Act when he raised his voice for the rights of Ladakh and environmental protection, and was sent to jail in Jodhpur," Gehlot said.

The Congress leader said a person who was described as a "threat to national security" a few months ago is now being released, which indicates that no evidence has been found against him.

Also Read: Sonam Wangchuk case sparks debate on linking rights with duties

"If that is the case, who will account for the 170 days he spent in custody? Why was he arrested?" Gehlot asked in a social media post.

He also questioned whether the definition of national security would now be determined by the political interests of the ruling BJP. Gehlot alleged that such "convenient use" of strict laws reflected authoritarian tendencies and undermined the credibility of democratic institutions.

"The people of the country are watching this double standard," he said.

‘Why were they sent to jail?’: Akhilesh Yadav

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said on the Home Ministry revoking the detention of Sonam Wangchuk, "The question is, why were they sent to jail in the first place? They should not have been sent to jail. The BJP should also have supported their movement because the BJP had promised that they (Ladakh) would be granted the status of a full state. The BJP deceived them..."

‘Modi govt stands exposed again’: Kejriwal

AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal said the case of Wangchuk mirrors the treatment meted out to his party's top leadership in the alleged Delhi liquor scam, claiming they were kept in jail "for months and years" under fabricated charges.

Also Read: Wangchuk health stable, can't be released, Centre tells SC

"The Modi government stands exposed once again. A scientist and climate activist who had dedicated his life to the nation was arrested without any evidence. The months he spent in jail were not only a personal loss for him but also a loss to the country. This sheer dictatorship must be called out and stopped immediately," Kejriwal said in a post on X.

Delay in addressing habeas corpus plea questioned

Reacting to the revocation of Wangchuk's detention order, Delhi AAP chief Saurabh Bharadwaj questioned the circumstances surrounding the detention and the delay in addressing a habeas corpus petition challenging it.

Also Read: Wangchuk detained for instigating people in sensitive border area: Centre to SC

"About six months ago, a renowned scientist from Ladakh who has made countless innovations for Ladakh and the Indian Army and is known around the world for educating poor children was arrested by the Central government under the NSA, claiming that he was a threat to national security. His wife has been fighting a habeas corpus petition in the Supreme Court for months. The case had been going on for a long time, and the Central government kept seeking new dates with different excuses," said Bharadwaj.