A petition has been submitted to the Delhi High Court requesting authorization for climate activist Sonam Wangchuk and his associates from Ladakh to conduct a peaceful protest at Jantar Mantar or another appropriate location from October 8 to October 23.

The aim of the protest is to raise environmental awareness and advocate for Sixth Schedule status for Ladakh.

The plea has been submitted by the Apex Body Leh, an organization dedicated to safeguarding Ladakh's cultural and environmental interests. The organization commenced the march with around 200 padyatris, including Wangchuk, who started the Pad Yatra from Leh to New Delhi.

The petition was brought before a division bench consisting of Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela today. The bench declined to grant urgent listing for the matter but directed that it be scheduled for tomorrow.

The organization is dissatisfied with a letter from the Commissioner of Delhi Police, dated October 5, which denied their request to hold a peaceful demonstration at Jantar Mantar. The plea argues that this refusal violates the fundamental rights of the petitioner organization to freedom of speech and peaceful assembly, as guaranteed under Articles 19(1)(a) and 19(1)(b) of the Constitution of India.

It further states that the Delhi Police did not provide any valid or reasonable grounds for denying the request to hold a peaceful protest.

“The proposed demonstration is a peaceful expression of dissent intended to highlight important social issues by the petitioner organization. The planned anshan aims to raise awareness about critical societal concerns and communicate grievances to the authorities. By denying permission, the respondent is effectively suppressing this fundamental right and restricting the petitioner's ability to engage in public discourse, thereby undermining the principle of open expression,” the plea states.

Recently, the bench disposed of three petitions concerning the alleged detention of Wangchuk and others, following information from the Delhi Police that Sonam Wangchuk and his associates had been released and set free.

Wangchuk was leading the march titled “Delhi Chalo Padyatra,” which commenced in Leh last month. He was detained at Singhu Border on the night of September 30, along with other individuals from Ladakh. The march was organized by the Leh Apex Body (LAB), which, along with the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), has been at the forefront of an agitation demanding statehood for Ladakh.