LADAKH UNREST SPURS GOVT TO CRACK FCRA WHIP

As Leh remained under a tight curfew on Thursday a day after violent protests that claimed four lives, CBI began probing climate activist Sonam Wangchuk’s Himalayan Institute of Alternative Learning (HIAL) over alleged violations of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA).

- FPJ News Service

On Thursday, two months after the agency launched a preliminary inquiry into the matter, the Union Home Ministry (MHA) cancelled the FCRA licence of Wangchuk’s NGO with immediate effect.

In Wednesday's violence, four protesters were killed and at least 80 others injured in clashes between demonstrators and security forces. Leh, usually bustling with tourists and pilgrims during autumn, wore a deserted look as paramilitary personnel patrolled the streets to prevent further flareups.

The violence erupted on Wednesday when a protest called by the Leh Apex Body (LAB), demanding statehood and constitutional safeguards for Ladakh, spiralled out of control. Mobs torched the local BJP office, vandalised the Leh Hill Council headquarters, and set several vehicles, including a CRPF Gypsy, ablaze. The unrest forced police to open fire and resort to baton charges and tear-gas to disperse crowds.

Officials confirmed that around 50 people had been detained in connection with the violence. Among the injured were 40 security personnel and at least three Nepali nationals, prompting the police to probe possible "foreign links" in the agitation.