Key Points

Congress media and publicity chairman, Pawan Khera, said on X, “Several leaders of the BJP and some anchors/social media influencers have been showing a picture and footage of someone, and misrepresenting him as the elected councillor of Congress - Phuntsog Stanzin Tsepag."

Khera said the party will take legal action on this.

“We are proceeding with legal recourse and criminal proceedings against all those who have not just attempted to defame our party but have also tried to cause social unrest to fuel further dissensions. Instead of sensitively engaging with the betrayed people of Ladakh, the BJP and their media/social media minions are engaging in their usual mudslinging and looking for an opportunity to milk the outrage of Ladakh and settle scores with political opponents,” he further wrote on X.

The BJP IT cell in charge, Amit Malviya had posted videos of Congress councillors, Smanla Dorsey Norboo and Tsering Namgyal addressing reporters while making provocative statements on September 23, a day before unruly mobs vandalised Leh town, burnt a CRPF vehicle while trying to torch alive jawans inside the vehicle, gutted the BJP Leh office and the office of Leh Apex body in fire and also burnt several vehicles after which the security forces resorted to firing.

Four protesters were killed and 70 others injured in the firing, after which the District Magistrate imposed curfew in Leh that has remained in force for the third consecutive day on Friday.

The Ministry of Home Affairs has directly blamed the climate activist, Sonam Wangchuk, for instigating the protesters to violence. In a subsequent development, the MHA cancelled the FCRA registration certificate of Wangchuk, who founded the Students Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh (SECMOL).

A team of MHA officials had a meeting with representatives of Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) in Leh on Thursday to carry forward a dialogue to discuss the demands of the region.

Meanwhile, the police have lodged 50 FIRs against those involved in the unruly protests and those inciting the protesters to violence.

Police have booked some youths from Nepal and Doda, who were among the stone-throwing protesters. Reports suggest that the authorities are mulling the detention of instigators of violence under the Public Safety Act (PSA).

- IANS