A vehicle is set on fire during a protest by locals demanding statehood for the federal territory and job quotas for local residents in Leh, in the Ladakh region, India, Sept 24, 2025. REUTERS/StringerA vehicle is set on fire during a protest by locals demanding statehood for the federal territory and job quotas for local residents in Leh, in the Ladakh region, India, Sept 24, 2025. REUTERS/StringerIndian police arrested Ladakh activist Sonam Wangchuk on Friday, two days after New Delhi blamed him for violent protests demanding statehood for the Himalayan federal territory in which four people died, and suspended mobile internet services in its main city of Leh. It had also cancelled a licence granted to his non-governmental organisation, the Students' Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh, alleging violations. Wangchuk had earlier denied the allegations against him, and said the violent protests were a reflection of frustration with the federal government.
