Ladakh’s Lieutenant Governor, Kavinder Gupta, has stirred controversy by suggesting that the recent violent protests in the region were no spontaneous outburst — but rather the result of a planned conspiracy. He claimed, in an interview with NDTV’s Aditya Raj Kaul, that many injured participants hailed from Nepal and Doda — an assertion that lends fuel to suspicions that outside actors tried to inflame tensions in the Union Territory.

Violence Erupts over Statehood Demand

The situation in Leh turned grim when protests demanding statehood and Sixth Schedule inclusion escalated into deadly violence. At least four lives were lost and more than 60 people injured. Protestors set fire to the local BJP office and torched vehicles, prompting a forceful response by police using teargas and batons. Local authorities quickly imposed a curfew under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, which bans gatherings of more than five persons and prohibits rallies without written permission.

The movement, led by the youth wing of the Leh Apex Body (LAB), had already gained momentum over demands for safeguards and representation. LAB chairman Thupstan Tswang described the deceased as “martyrs” and pledged that their “sacrifices would not go in vain.” The unrest followed a hunger strike led by climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, during which two participants were hospitalized as their conditions deteriorated.

Wangchuk’s Words, Fallout

Following the violence, Wangchuk ended his 15-day hunger strike with a message of regret. He characterized the events as “youth’s anger” and a “Gen Z revolution”, saying:

“I am sad to inform you that there was vandalism in Leh during a protest. Many offices and police vehicles were vandalised and burned. A bandh was announced in Leh, but the youth came in large numbers. This was youth’s anger, a Gen-Z revolution,”

He made this statement in a video message framed by the sound of teargas shells in the background.

The BJP, however, rejected the narrative of a youth‐led movement. It accused the Congress of orchestrating the unrest.

“Today, in Ladakh, attempts were made to portray some protests as being led by Gen Z. However, when investigated, it was discovered that these protests were not led by Gen Z, but by Congress. Congress councillor Stanzin Tsepang is the councillor from the Upper Leh ward. He is the main instigator… He can also be seen marching towards the BJP office with a weapon in his hand. He is instigating the mob and targeting the BJP office. A video of this has also surfaced, and the BJP has also posted it. Councillor Stanzin Tsepang is with Rahul Gandhi,”
BJP MP Sambit Patra claimed.

संयोग ❌ प्रयोग ✅#LadakhViolence pic.twitter.com/yORBEYVaXH — Omkara (@OmkaraRoots) September 25, 2025

Alleged Engineering of Violence

According to government sources quoted by ANI, the violence in Leh did not arise spontaneously but was “engineered deliberately.” They said:

“Ladakh and its youth are paying a huge price for the narrow politics played by certain individuals and personal ambitions by Sonam Wangchuk. … The Centre had already fixed October 6 for the meeting of the High Powered Committee to discuss all issues posed by ABL and KDA. … Upon receiving a request for preponement, some meetings were being considered on Sept 25-26. … The Center has been always ready for the talks … earlier occasions also talks were also proposed on 25th July which did not receive positive response.”

Gupta himself pointed fingers at vested interests. He said:

“In a democratic system, protesting is a right. However, it must be done in a peaceful manner. … For the past two days, attempts have been made to incite people, and the protest held here was compared to those held in Bangladesh and Nepal. This smells of a conspiracy behind the protest.”

He further noted that “When police were deployed to control the law and order situation, a CRPF vehicle was torched. During the protest, DG’s vehicle was attacked with stones. If this protest had not been stopped, then these people (protestors) would have ruined the entire city of Leh.”

Later, Wangchuk distanced himself from the “Gen Z” label. In a virtual press conference, he said:

“These people call themselves Gen Z, that's why we said that otherwise I refer to them as youths. Gen Z is not my term; people often use it to describe them. Actually, these are the youths,”

From Hunger Strike to Deadly Clash

The youth wing of LAB called for the protest after two of the fifteen people engaged in a 35-day hunger strike, which began on September 10, were hospitalized on Tuesday evening. Their fast aimed to prompt the Centre to restart talks over four key demands: statehood, Sixth Schedule inclusion, separate Lok Sabha seats for Leh and Kargil, and job reservation.

On the morning of September 24, Leh came to a standstill as hundreds marched. Stones were thrown at the headquarters of the BJP and the Hill Council. Security forces deployed in strength used teargas to disperse crowds. The BJP office and several vehicles were vandalized and set on fire. With thick smoke and flames visible from afar, the day spiraled further. Police resorted to firing and teargas shelling to regain control. The administration swiftly imposed prohibitory orders under Section 163 of BNSS. Congress councillor Phuntsog Stanzin Tsepag was also booked for delivering a provocative speech at the hunger strike venue.

The Core of the Protest

The movement pressing across Ladakh demands both statehood and Sixth Schedule protection for the region, which was carved out from Jammu and Kashmir in 2019. Wangchuk argues that frustration among youth is rising because “they have been kept away from jobs,” and that the Sixth Schedule promise remains unfulfilled.

The Sixth Schedule, designed originally for tribal areas in the Northeast (such as Assam, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Tripura), grants special governance, financial and judicial powers through autonomous councils.

A fresh round of talks is already scheduled between the Ministry of Home Affairs and representatives from LAB and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) on October 6. These two bodies have jointly led the four-year agitation and have previously engaged in multiple rounds of dialogue with the government.