Rahul Gandhi Accuses PM Modi of Betraying Ladakh, Demands Judicial Probe into Police Firing Deaths
Congress demands impartial inquiry into the killing of four protesters, including ex-serviceman Tsewang Tharchin, during Ladakh statehood protests
New Delhi, Sep 30: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of “betraying” the people of Ladakh and called for an impartial judicial investigation into the deaths of four protesters in police firing in the union territory.
Among those killed was Kargil war veteran Tsewang Tharchin, whose father also served in the Indian Army. Gandhi shared a video of Tharchin’s father on X, stating, “Father in the army, son in the army patriotism runs in their blood. Yet the BJP government shot and killed this brave son of the nation, simply because he stood up for Ladakh and his rights.”
The former Congress president demanded that the perpetrators be punished and urged the Prime Minister to engage with the people of Ladakh instead of using “politics of violence and fear.”
On Monday, Congress had expressed outrage over Tharchin’s death. Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh highlighted that Tharchin had served at the Siachen Glacier and fought in the 1999 Kargil War, emphasizing that he was peacefully protesting for Sixth Schedule status for Ladakh.
The unrest in Ladakh erupted on September 24 when protests over statehood demands turned violent. Four people were killed and many injured as demonstrators clashed with security forces, with incidents including the burning of a local BJP office and stone-pelting at police and CRPF personnel.
Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, a key figure in the protests, was detained under the National Security Act on September 26 and lodged in Jodhpur jail, Rajasthan.
