• Source:JND
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Sonam Wangchuk is facing trouble after the peaceful protests, demanding statehood and Ladakh's inclusion in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, turned violent on September 24.

Hours after the violence that claimed four lives, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) accused the activist and educationist of instigating violence by making provocative mentions of Arab Spring-style and Nepal Gen Z-style protests.

Meanwhile, the ongoing CBI investigation into the suspected illegal foreign funding led to the cancellation of the FCRA license of his NGO, Students' Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh (SECMOL). Here are five points on what Sonam Wangchuk said about the CBI investigation of FCRA violations and him being accused of instigating protestors.

Don't Need FCRA: Playing down the need for FCRA, Wangchuk said, "I had received a notice about a CBI inquiry stating that your organisation received foreign funding even when it did not have FCRA. We did not get FCRA because we don't want funds from abroad."

Wangchuk said that attempts to frame him were underway using CBI probe and Income Tax summons and the violence was the last in series of 'witch hunting'. He said, "We are getting I-T summons. In the series of witch hunting, yesterday's events were the last and all blame was put on Sonam Wangchuk."    

Money not contribution but fee with tax paid: He added that the foreign fund they received was a fee from the United Nations, Switzerland and Italy for multiple projects on which tax was duly paid. He said, "United Nations team wanted to take our Passive Solar Heated Building to Afghanistan, and for this, they gave us a fee. We also got fees with tax from Switzerland and Italy organisations for supplying knowledge to them about our artificial glaciers...We are getting I-T summons. In the series of witch hunting, yesterday's events were the last and all blame was put on Sonam Wangchuk."

CBI demanded accounts details not needed in probe: On CBI investigation, Wangchuk alleged an attempt to frame him and the chain started a month ago.

He said that the CBI team came to Ladakh with an MHA order about 10 days ago. Wangchuk asserted that when CBI swas convinced that the money under question was not a contribution but a fee, they asked for accounts details from beyond the mandated period.

"It was a very dignified assignment. They saw it and they were convinced. They understood it is not helping them, so they began asking for accounts outside that period. Their mandate was to check for accounts during 2022-24, but they started asking for accounts of 2021 and 2020. Then they went to our school asking for various documents outside their mandate period and a school outside the complaint's purview," Wangchuk alleged.

Making me a scapegoat for violence: On MHA accusing him of instigating unrest, Wangchuk said that the government is trying to make him the scapegoat. "To say it was instigated by me, or sometimes by Congress, is to find a scapegoat, rather than addressing the core of the problem, and this will lead us nowhere", he said.

Will book me under PSA, jail me for two years: Wangchuk: Wangchuk alleged that the government is planning to build a case against him under the Public Safety Act (PSA) and throw him behind bars for two years. He warned that jailed Wanghchuk will cause more problems.

"I see they are building up a case to bring me under the Public Safety Act and throw me in jail for two years," he said, adding, "I am ready for that, but Sonam Wangchuk in jail may cause them more problems than free Sonam Wangchuk."

(With PTI and ANI Inputs)