Delhi High Court seeks police response on Sonam Wangchuk’s plea to hold protest at Jantar Mantar

New Delhi, Oct 09: The Delhi High Court has asked the Delhi Police to respond to a petition filed by Ladakh activist Sonam Wangchuk and others, who are seeking permission to hold a peaceful protest at Jantar Mantar reports Bar and Bench.

Wangchuk and his group marched from Leh to Delhi to demand the implementation of the Sixth Schedule for Ladakh, which would grant the region greater autonomy.

On Wednesday, a bench of Justice Prathiba M Singh and Justice Amit Sharma directed the Delhi Police to reply to the plea by October 16. The case is scheduled for hearing on October 22. The plea was listed after an urgent request for a hearing, said the Bar and Bench.

"We haven't had time to review the entire petition... we've only seen the main request. We'll seek a response from the Delhi Police," the court noted.

Wangchuk and his group, under the banner of Apex Body Leh, have been advocating for the inclusion of Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, which provides special rights and autonomy for tribal areas.

This provision currently applies to select regions in northeast States of the country like Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Mizoram. The group argues that Ladakh needs similar protections due to concerns over its ecological and cultural future.

The marchers began their journey on September 1, but were detained near Delhi at the Singhu Border on September 30. Although they were released, their request to hold a protest at Jantar Mantar from October 8 to 23 was denied by Delhi Police on October 5.

The Delhi Police's refusal led Wangchuk and his group to file a petition, arguing that the decision violated their fundamental rights to freedom of speech and peaceful assembly under Articles 19(1)(a) and 19(1)(b) of the Constitution. The petition also suggested that, instead of an outright rejection, the police could have offered an alternative location for the protest.

During the hearing, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the police, opposed the urgent listing of the case, stating, "There cannot be any urgency for proceeding on any fast or dharna." Wangchuk had previously staged a hunger strike to highlight his demands, which include not only the Sixth Schedule but also stronger environmental protections for Ladakh.