As the Ladakh Administration imposed 60-day restrictions on Sonam Wangchuk, prohibiting him from “engaging in any activity, organising or participating in any unauthorised rally, procession or public gathering”, the climate activist has written to the Union Home Minister, Ladakh Lieutenant Governor, and others, stating that the order has effectively curtailed his “right to freedom of movement and speech”.He said the “right to peaceful protest is a fundamental right guaranteed to every citizen of this country”. “The imposition of the Model Code of Conduct, as recorded in the order, cannot, by itself, be invoked as a blanket justification to curtail this right or to impose restrictions that effectively confine me to my residence, in the absence of any intervening reason,” he said in the letter.Stating that the order issued by the district administration “conspicuously does not use words such as ‘house arrest’, nor does it use the words ‘detention’ or ‘confinement’”, Wangchuk said, “It nowhere directs me to remain at my residence — a direction given orally to me by the personnel who picked me up and are now present outside my house.”“The order does not mention the scope or extent of the restrictions imposed on my movement, leaving their implementation to the discretion of the police personnel deployed,” he said. Noting that “the relevant authorities clarify my genuine concerns, since the current order is vague and unenforceable”, Wangchuk said that on November 11, he had visited the proposed venue of the dharna to see the preparations.“At about 8:00 p.m., while I was having refreshments with them in the tent, a group of policemen, dressed in plain clothes without name tags, wearing hoodies and black masks, arrived at the venue, accompanied by a police officer in uniform,” he said. “…I was forcefully pushed into a vehicle by four men in masks, without being informed of where I was being taken. They would not allow me to take out my phone, and an attempt was made to take it from me, which I resisted. I was thus prevented from informing my family or from speaking to a lawyer,” he said, adding that he was driven towards his village.“I was told to remain at home under the supervision of police guards. Since that evening, dozens of armed police personnel (approximately twenty to twenty-two) have been stationed at and around my residence and continue to remain deployed there as I write this representation,” he said. Referring to the district administration’s order, Wangchuk said, “The order discloses no reasons justifying the necessity or proportionality of such an extended restriction, nor does it identify any continuing emergency/threat attributable to me that would warrant restraints of such duration.”“The electoral process which it is said to protect is scheduled, under the notified programme, to conclude on 08.12.2026. The actions have clearly been taken to curtail my movement and rights before the election,” he said. He added, “In light of the above, the order dated 11.11.2026 is clearly bad in law, arbitrary, vague, and disproportionate. I request you to kindly offer clarification at the earliest and withdraw this order without delay.”I AM UNDER HOUSE ARRESTDozens of armed guards surround my house while the government version says ‘I have been advised to stay at home’. All for asking uncomfortable questions like… why is the Judicial Enquiry Commission Report (of last year’s killings in Leh) is delayed & a phoney Council election is foisted on people with rocket speed in mid winter.Whole of Ladakh is in protest.My X, Instagram & YouTube reach have been drastically suppressed in the world’s largest democracy. Please help share this message…— Sonam Wangchuk (@Wangchuk66) November 12, 2026