Meeting sought with Sr representatives of Govt
Excelsior Correspondent
NEW DELHI/JAMMU, Oct 3: Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk and his associates today ended their fast in New Delhi after a meeting with the Joint Secretary in the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) during which they submitted a memorandum carrying their demands.
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Wangchuk read out the demands in front of the MHA Joint Secretary in the presence of media before handing it over to him. He hoped that the Central Government would résumé stalled dialogue with representatives of the Union Territory of Ladakh.
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Four-point agenda of Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), spearheading the agitation in Ladakh, include Sixth Schedule status, Statehood, full-fledged Public Services Commission (PSC) and an additional seat in the Parliament.
Some of the leaders of LAB and KDA were also present in New Delhi when Wangchuk met the Joint Secretary Home in the capital.
The delegation sought meeting with senior functionaries of the Central Government for taking up their demands with them.
After meeting the Joint Secretary Home, Wangchuk and other activities who undertook month-long `Padyatra’ from Leh to New Delhi called off their fast. They were detained at Singhu border ahead of their march entering the capital but were yesterday taken to Raj Ghat. All of them have been released now.
Meanwhile, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta today told the Delhi High Court that climate activist Sonam Wangchuk and his associates have been released from detention.
The senior law officer also said that the Delhi Police order prohibiting Assembly and protests in various parts of Delhi has also been withdrawn.
Mehta made the statement before a bench of Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela.
The bench was hearing petitions seeking the release of Wangchuk and his associates as well challenging the prohibitory order.
“The (prohibitory) order which was passed on September 30 now stands withdrawn in view of changed circumstances as they exist now. So far as persons who were allegedly detained, it was not detention in that sense, but they are also out,” the Solicitor General (SG) said.
“They visited Rajghat (yesterday). They were there for about two hours. They gave some memorandum which was accepted by the Ministry of Home Affairs. They have also left,” he added.
The court closed the proceedings on the petitions by social activist Azad, who said he worked closely with Wangchuk, and lawyer Mustafa Haji, the legal advisor to the Leh Apex Body, after their lawyers also admitted to the release.
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