Charred remains of a vehicle lie in the middle of a deserted road, a day after violence erupted over statehood and other demands, in Leh, Ladakh, Thursday, September 25, 2025.
Ladakh remained under tight security on Thursday after four people were shot dead and dozens injured during violent protests in Leh district of the cold desert.
Authorities imposed curfew in Leh while restrictions under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, banning gatherings of more than five people were imposed in Kargil. Police and paramilitary forces were deployed across key roads and public places.
Dozens of people from Leh have also been detained, said an official.
Violence erupted on Wednesday when protesters clashed with security forces, torching a police vehicle and the local office of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
At least four people were killed and about 70 injured, residents said. Several police personnel were also left injured, officials added.
“The situation is under control,” a government official said on condition of anonymity.
The Union Home Ministry said in a statement that no further violence had been reported after 4 p.m. on Wednesday.
The violence broke out after hundreds of young demonstrators gathered at a protest site where climate activist Sonam Wangchuk had been on a hunger strike since September 10. Protesters are demanding Sixth Schedule constitutional status, restoration of statehood, a Public Service Commission, and two Lok Sabha seats — one each for Leh and Kargil.
The protesters later marched towards the Hill Council Secretariat and pelted it with stones. They also set the local office of BJP, a police vehicle and several private cars on fire.
Two influential coalitions — the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) — have jointly spearheaded the agitation and held several rounds of talks with a high-powered committee from the Home Ministry. The last round of discussions, in May, failed to reach a breakthrough.
The central government in June announced a new reservation and domicile policy for Ladakh, reserving 85 per cent of government jobs for local residents and setting aside one-third of seats in the Hill Development Councils for women.
As news about violence in Leh broke out, KDA alliance called for a complete shutdown on Wednesday in Kargil.
Published on September 25, 2025