BJP office set on fire by protestors in Ladakh; Sonam Wangchuk rues failure of peace

In the afternoon of 24 September 2025, violent clashes erupted in Leh, the capital of Ladakh, during a long-running protest movement led by climate activist Sonam Wangchuk and local civil society groups.

The immediate trigger was reportedly the hospitalisation of two protesters who had been on hunger strike for over 15 days — 2 out of some 35 — as part of the agitation. Per PTI, the duo were part of the Leh Apex Body (LAB) youth wing and were shifted to a hospital after their condition deteriorated on Tuesday evening, 23 September.

This incident sparked outrage among demonstrators, leading to a mob storming and setting fire to a local Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) office, as well as torching a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) security vehicle. Students and youth supporters of Wangchuk clashed with the local police in the union territory, with reports of stone-pelting and attempts to breach security lines. Security forces were deployed to restore order, but no casualties were immediately reported from the violence.

The BJP office was seemingly specifically targeted as a symbol of the ruling party's unfulfilled promises to the region, especially since the BJP has been in power at the centre since before the 2019 changes that reorganised Ladakh — once part of the state of Jammu and Kashmir — into a separate union territory; they are still in power of course, as the major party in the NDA coalition.

Videos circulating on social media show thick smoke rising from the building, with protesters chanting slogans against the Union Territory (UT) administration.

What the protestors demand and why

The protests stem from deep-seated grievances in Ladakh following the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019, which stripped Jammu and Kashmir of its special status and bifurcated it into two UTs: Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.

While locals initially supported the move for supposed ‘greater integration with India’, they now feel betrayed by the lack of follow-through on safeguards for their tribal-majority region's unique cultural, environmental and economic needs.

Wangchuk's hunger strike, which began on 10 September 2025 (and follows a shorter agitation in August), has now entered its 15th day by the time of this violence, amplified these demands. It is tied to the upcoming elections for the Leh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) in October, which protesters view as a "test of the BJP's credibility".

The protestors key demands include:

• Full statehood for Ladakh: Restoring it as a separate state rather than a UT directly administered by the central government, to give locals more legislative and administrative control.

• Inclusion under the Sixth Schedule: This constitutional provision grants autonomy to tribal areas through autonomous district councils with powers over land, forests, and local governance. Protesters have been arguing since 2020 it is essential to protect the region against land grabs by outsiders, preserve the fragile Himalayan ecology and ensure job reservations for locals (e.g., in government posts and tourism).

• Other issues: In addition to protection of land rights, employment opportunities for unemployed youth, environmental safeguards amid climate change threats and addressing administrative failures by the current lieutenant governor, B.D. Mishra, are amongst the grievances being brought up by citizens.

Civil society leaders have warned that public impatience is growing, with fears that "matters can go out of hand" if talks fail yet again.

A fresh round of negotiations between the central government and the protest leaders (including former MP Stanzin Lungtok Nyampa and Jamyang Tsering Namgyal of the Leh Apex Body and Kargil Democratic Alliance) is scheduled for 6 October 2025.

Shortly after the incident of violence, Wangchuk posted on Instagram, rueing the failure of peaceful protest. “My message of peaceful protest failed today” he said, mentioning the very sad events in Leh.

The unrest is particularly sensitive given Ladakh's strategic border location with China, where tensions have simmered since the 2020 Galwan clash as well.