Ladakh: Prohibitions under Section 163 of BNSS continue in Leh

LEH: Prohibitory orders under Section 163 of Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, continue to be imposed in Leh following the September 24 violence amid the demands for statehood for Ladakh and inclusion in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.

Assembly of five or more persons is banned in the district. No procession, rally or march to be carried out without prior written approval. Security personnel are deployed in Leh amid the unrest. This comes after a demonstration turned violent and targeted the BJP office in Leh.

#WATCH | Ladakh: Prohibitions under Section 163 of Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 continue to be imposed in Leh following the violence here on September 24. Assembly of five or more persons is banned in the district. No procession, rally or march to be carried out… pic.twitter.com/tdg1WhMcli

— ANI (@ANI) September 26, 2025

Earlier on Thursday, Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh Kavinder Gupta chaired a high-level security review meeting in Leh to assess the prevailing situation across the Union Territory, amid heightened concerns over public safety. The meeting was attended by Chief Secretary Pawan Kotwal, Director General of Police SD Singh Jamwal, and senior officers from the Indian Army and Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP).

During the meeting, the Lt Governor emphasised the need for heightened vigilance, seamless inter-agency coordination, and proactive measures to safeguard peace, security, and public order across Ladakh.

Meanwhile, activist Sonam Wangchuk, who was leading the protests with a hunger strike, finds himself in the middle of the political tension in the Union Territory. The violence sparked a political row, where the BJP leader Amit Malviya alleged that Congress councillor Phuntsog Stanzin Tsepag had “instigated” protesters who attacked the BJP office in Leh on Wednesday.

Wangchuk denied Congress’ role in the protests and said, “What is the name of the person who entered the BJP office? First of all, a few weeks ago, the Congress party was removed from our Apex body so that it can remain apolitical. So you can understand that this movement has nothing to do with Congress. They were told to move away from the movement until the elections are over. Otherwise, they also have a place in it”.

“How would you feel if I told you that the picture he was showing was wrong? He was showing a picture of someone else in a hurry; he was showing it to the whole country as a Congress councillor. And in reality, he was someone else; he had distant relatives. And today, the police are harassing him and his family. They are beating them up”, he alleged. (ANI)