The Centre on Tuesday, 3 February 2026, defended the detention of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk under the National Security Act (NSA) before the Supreme Court, arguing that his reference to the Union government as “them” and the people of Ladakh as “us” was sufficient to invoke the preventive detention law.
Appearing for the Union government and the Union Territory of Ladakh, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta submitted, “There is no us and them. We are all Indians.”
Quoting from Wangchuk’s speeches that led to his detention, Mehta told the court that the activist should not be allowed to “spit venom”. He accused Wangchuk of instigating Gen Z to “indulge in bloodbath” and “civil war,” and of wanting Ladakh to face agitation and violence similar to what transpired in Nepal and Bangladesh.
By doing so, Mehta argued, Wangchuk was attempting to bring international focus to the Ladakh agitation. According to the Centre’s top law officer, Wangchuk’s use of the words “them” and “us” “betrayed secessionist tendencies”.
With these submissions, Mehta opened arguments on behalf of the Centre and the Union Territory, opposing the plea filed by Wangchuk’s wife challenging his detention. A Bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and P.B. Varale is hearing the matter.
Wangchuk was detained under the NSA in September last, following protests in Leh over demands for statehood and Sixth Schedule status for the Union Territory of Ladakh.
Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Wangchuk’s wife Gitanjali J. Angmo, has concluded his arguments. He told the Bench that Wangchuk has a democratic right to criticise and protest against the government and that such sentiments do not threaten the security of the State so as to warrant his detention.
Countering this, Mehta told the court that Wangchuk “wants Ladakh to become Nepal or Bangladesh?”, drawing the court’s attention to violent incidents in neighbouring countries. He said, “The moment you say ‘ours’ and ‘theirs’ in this country, you are doing something against the country. There is no ‘they’. It is ‘our’ government.”
Responding to Wangchuk’s claim that he invoked Mahatma Gandhi in his speeches, Mehta said it was done as a cover-up. “His speech at the beginning and end is always Gandhiji. But in the middle, whatever you say, you use Gandhiji as a cover. This is usually done when inflammatory speeches are made,” he submitted.
Defending the detention order, the Solicitor General asserted the authority of the District Magistrate, stating that the officer had examined various factors holistically before passing the order. “The Court cannot question the sufficiency of the grounds of detention for subjective satisfaction,” he said.
“One line, one word, one sentence cannot be couched in a manner that I was preaching what Gandhiji said. This Gen Z has their own dictionary,” Mehta added, accusing Wangchuk of misleading the younger generation and hoping for a riot-like situation similar to Nepal.
The hearing also saw arguments on Wangchuk’s alleged reference to the Arab Spring. Taking exception, Mehta said the reference was to the bloodbath during the Arab revolution involving self-immolation attempts.
“This is what he wants Gen Z to do. It is an invitation to indulge in civil war with bloodbath! He says, why can’t we self-immolate? This is how he’s instigating impressionable youth,” Mehta argued.
Highlighting Ladakh’s strategic sensitivity and proximity to China, the Solicitor General said the region was crucial for maintaining supply chains to the armed forces stationed along the borders.
He further told the Bench that Wangchuk had made statements about holding a referendum in the region, contending that the case was squarely covered under the NSA.
“The climate activist Sonam Wangchuk wanted the Union Territory to face an agitation and violence similar to what transpired in Nepal and Bangladesh,” Mehta submitted.
Opposing the plea, he added that Wangchuk wanted Ladakh to “become Nepal or Bangladesh”. He said, “We all know what happened in Bangladesh. He is targeting the impressionable youth. The moment you say ‘ours’ and ‘theirs’ in this country, you are doing something against the country.”
Wangchuk is currently lodged at the Jodhpur Central Jail in Rajasthan.
In an earlier hearing, Wangchuk denied allegations that he had made statements seeking to overthrow the government like the Arab Spring. Through his counsel, he asserted that he has a democratic right to criticise and protest against the government and that such expressions do not threaten the security of the State.
Senior advocate Kapil Sibal submitted that there was no case of violence against Wangchuk. “Whatever he has done is purely in a peaceful manner. No violence, only through peaceful means,” he told the court.
Source: The Print
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