You are reading too much into it: Supreme Court to Centre on Wangchuk’s speeches

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Wednesday questioned whether Ladakh-based climate activist Sonam Wangchuk’s speeches and social media posts could legitimately be treated as provocative material that led to violence in Leh on September 24, 2025, as alleged by the Centre to justify his preventive detention under the National Security Act (NSA).

A Bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and PB Varale examined the speeches relied upon by the Central government and Leh administration. The judges expressed reservations about the interpretation placed on Wangchuk’s remarks, particularly where he spoke about youth losing faith in peaceful “Gandhian” methods of protest and warned of the risk of violent unrest in the Statehood movement.

Additional Solicitor General (ASG) KM Nataraj, appearing for the Centre, argued that Wangchuk was the “chief provocateur” behind the protests and had instigated youth by suggesting a Nepal-like situation could arise in India. The Court, however, questioned this reading, observing that Wangchuk appeared to be expressing concern rather than encouraging violence. “He is saying it is worrying,” the Bench noted, adding that cautioning against a departure from non-violence did not necessarily amount to incitement. Justice Kumar remarked, “You are too much into it.”

Nataraj maintained that in preventive detention matters, even suspicion was sufficient and that Wangchuk’s public fasting and speeches had to be viewed collectively. The Court responded that fasting in public could not by itself be objectionable.  (ANI)

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