Wangchuk was arrested on 26 September following violent protests in Leh demanding statehood for Ladakh, which resulted in four deaths and dozens injured. The administration accused him of inciting the violence through provocative statements; he denies these charges. His NGO’s foreign funding licence has been cancelled and he has been moved to Jodhpur prison under tight security.
AAP accused Gandhi of playing a passive role in the face of oppression, alleging that his inaction revealed proximity to the ruling party. Party spokespersons released a photograph of Gandhi embracing Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a Lok Sabha session, arguing that it symbolised complicity. “When the tide rises against BJP, Rahul vanishes,” AAP posted on social media, demanding he speak out for Wangchuk.
Congress answered with biting accusations of its own. Social media head Supriya Shrinate claimed that AAP was born of BJP-RSS designs and now acts as their puppet. She dismissed AAP’s attack on Gandhi as a tactic to deflect from its internal crisis, saying “the entity that created your party has swallowed you.”
The row underscores strains within opposition ranks, especially as both parties vie for standing in states where AAP has growing influence. The Congress has also positioned itself as the defender of civil liberties, condemning Wangchuk’s arrest and urging judicial oversight into the state’s actions.
Beyond Congress and AAP, other opposition entities have weighed in. The Communist Party labelled the arrest “outrageous” and branded it part of a broader suppression agenda. The Congress described it as a move to shift attention from administrative failures in Ladakh.
Wangchuk’s wife has alleged that police ransacked their home and treated him as a criminal without cause. She calls the narrative against him fabricated to tarnish his reputation. Meanwhile, the Leh Apex Body, leading the statehood agitation, has denied any foreign interference and demanded a judicial probe into the violence and the subsequent crackdown.
Authorities maintain that invocation of the NSA and relocation of Wangchuk were necessary to restore order and prevent further unrest. The Ladakh administration, citing “specific inputs,” defended the transfer to Jodhpur as a measure to curb protests triggered by his influence. Security forces continue to enforce curfew and internet shutdowns in Leh.
Analysts see the controversy as a litmus test for opposition unity, highlighting divergent strategies and narrative priorities. AAP seeks to burnish its credentials as a rights-based party willing to challenge Congress as much as the ruling establishment. Congress, for its part, appears eager to contain AAP’s reach while affirming its role as the mainstream opposition.
Wangchuk, a climate and education activist turned political agitator, has long campaigned for constitutional safeguards, job reservations, and local governance in Ladakh. He warned that imprisoning him could backfire by martyrising the movement. His incarceration now intensifies public scrutiny of the government’s approach to dissent in sensitive border regions.