MP refused permission to meet Wangchuk in Jodhpur jail, asks govt to clarify position

Jodhpur: The government should clarify under what conditions it would allow a meeting with jailed Ladakhi activist Sonam Wangchuk, CPI-M MP Amra Ram asked after he was turned away from the Jodhpur Central Jail and finally left after waiting for half an hour.

The Sikar MP went to the jail on Tuesday evening only to find police barricades put up a short distance from the main gate. He then wrote to the jail superintendent seeking permission to meet Wangchuk but the administration cited rules and said no. Wangchuk was moved to the Jodhpur jail after he was detained in Leh on Friday under the stringent National Security Act (NSA) for allegedly instigating the violent protests on September 24. He has been at the forefront of the movement seeking statehood and extension of the Sixth Schedule to Ladakh.

“The promises made to the people of Ladakh were not fulfilled, protesters were fired upon and their leader Sonam Wangchuk was put behind bars,” Ram told reporters outside the jail.

“Wangchuk is not a terrorist that even a meeting with him should be denied. The government should clarify when and under what conditions it would allow a meeting with Wangchuk,” he said.

The MP also accused the Central government of betrayal and adopting a repressive attitude.

Additional security arrangements have been put in place since Wangchuk was brought to Jodhpur. Barricades have come up and police personnel deployed a considerable distance away from the main gate of the Central Jail.

Anyone passing through the area is not being allowed to go further without questioning and a valid reason, officials said. Police is also monitoring jail premises inside and outside through CCTV cameras, they said.