'Chalo Delhi Climate March': Delhi CM Atishi ‘not allowed’ to meet detained activist Sonam Wangchuk

Chalo Delhi Climate March: Delhi Chief Minister Atishi on Tuesday went to meet detained climate activist Sonam Wangchuk at Bawana police station. However, the Chief Minister claimed that she was not allowed to meet the activist leading the protest demanding autonomy for Ladakh.

"The people of Ladakh want statehood. Sonam Wangchuk and the people of Ladakh who were scheduled to visit Bapu's Samadhi were arrested. They did not allow me to meet Sonam Wangchuk. This is the BJP's dictatorship. We fully support Sonam Wangchuk.," she said.

Criticising the BJP, Atishi stated that Delhi's LG played a part in stopping her from meeting protestors.

"I am convinced that these police personnel received a call from LG Sahab directing that the representative of the elected government, Delhi CM, not be allowed to see Sonam Wangchuk. We strongly condemn it. Ladakh and Delhi both should get the status of a full state," Atishi said.

"Today, the BJP's government goes to great lengths to destroy democracy and rob people of their voting rights. Why were they arrested? Why am I stopped from meeting them? Because the Bharatiya Janata Party is afraid of democracy, I am confident that if such dictatorship continues, LG rule in Ladakh, LG rule in Delhi, and the Bharatiya Janata Party's rule in the Central Government will end as well," she added.

Meanwhile, a massive crowd gathered in Ladakh to protest the detention of citizens from the Union Territory in the national capital. People in Leh came to the streets to demand Sonam Wangchuk's release, chanting "Delhi Police Shame Shame".

Ladakh MP Haji Hanifa arrived at the Singhu border on Tuesday, after activist Sonam Wangchuk and others were detained by police late Monday night.

Hanifa stated that everyone is aware of how Ladakh has been in talks with the government to defend its environmental and constitutional rights.

"We are all aware that across the previous three years, we have been fighting for our rights peacefully. We even had talks with the government about it, but this stopped after the elections and the formation of the new government. We walked out on foot from Leh, representing the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) and the Apex Body, to express our views to the government."