By Sushil Kutty
As is its wont. The BJP always starts with lament. The latest is about violence in Ladakh, allegedly incited by Congress. Apparently Congress councillor Stanzin Tsepang is behind the violence, which reminds the BJP IT Cell of the unrest that brought about regime change in Bangladesh. Nepal is also copybook or the Tsepang is playbook and whose weapon-laced picture is doing the rounds. The BJP says Wednesday’s violence for statehood was Congress’s “nefarious design” to create Bangladesh, Nepal and Philippines in India ruled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, arguably the strongest Prime Minister has had since the days of Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, PM Modi’s inspiration.
BJP MP and national spokesperson Sambit Patra says councillor Stanzin Tsepang is “main instigator” of the Ladakh violence. Patra claims attempts were being made to make the protests look like they’re led by Gen Z. This scares the BJP and the Modi government. No politician likes and wants to be chased by Gen Z into a pond, and Sambit Patra is now a full-fledged politician.
“Today in Ladakh, an attempt was made to portray some protests as being led by ‘Gen Z’ but when an investigation was carried out, it was found that this was not a Gen Z protest but actually a Congress protest,” Patra told reporters in New Delhi. “Stanzin Tsepang is the councillor from the Upper Leh ward. He is the main instigator. He can be seen marching towards the BJP office with a weapon in his hand. He is instigating the mob. A video has surfaced. Stanzin Tsepang is with Rahul Gandhi.”
Four people died in the violence. Patra did not say what the Modi government has done or intend to do. The BJP’s is facing rebellion after the demand for statehood for Ladakh became a politically hot issue. The demand for the Union Territory’s inclusion in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution led to the violence. Gen Z hasn’t so far reared its head. It is unfortunate Gen Z has of late become the whipping horse for violence, arson and street veto.
Stanzin Tsepang like Rahul Gandhi believes India is a Union of States. And if Ladakh gets statehood, Ladakh will be the first state crowning India the Union of States. Does the country-name ‘United States of India’ sound fine? It is so-like the United States of America. Tsepang might even get the Bharat ‘UNI Ratna’ for championing the creation of the USI. Lighter vein apart, the only way the BJP can survive protesters throwing stones at police and setting ablaze paramilitary vehicles is to acknowledge Gen Z is simmering to a boil in Ladakh.
Police fired bullets and tear gas. Put batons to work. scores of Gen Z were injured. Till Leh looked only a shade less worse than Kathmandu. Four of the critically injured died. Curfew was imposed in Ladakh. How many knew or know Ladakh has a Lt. Governor? His name is Kavinder Gupta and Gupta called the clashes a plot. He vowed to act and the police registered an FIR with the Congress councillor’s name figuring prominently in it.
Patra got his wish. “The Congress has a nefarious design. It’s Congress’ conspiracy. ‘Bharat tere tukde honge Inshallah, Inshallah’ is the Congress’ main line… This is Rahul Gandhi’s plan with George Soros. Since they cannot win through the people, they conspire to break the country,” Patra said. “Rahul Gandhi repeatedly incites youth to create conditions like those that occurred in Bangladesh and Nepal, and are happening now in the Philippines, to bring similar circumstances to India. What kind of leadership is this for the Congress?”
Patra should worry about what kind of leadership is there for the BJP. Indians want to ask the BJP and the Modi government if a Nepal and Philippines like situation can actually happen in India, is it also Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s view; is India on its knees because a portion of India wants to break-free in a limited form? A blueprint of a redefined Ladakh is out there for everybody see and dare say this can only happen in “Modi’s New India”, never has such an absurdity been voiced.
Put simply, ever since May 26, 2014, things have haywire and the Modi government has been faltering at every mile of the way. Will Prime Minister Narendra Modi “surrender” to Ladakh’s Gen Z? Patra said Congress must know it won’t. Patra cannot get Tsepang out of his mind. BJP IT Cell head Amit Malviya took to X to give Tsepang his full name, “Phuntsog Stanzin Tsepang, Congress Councillor for Upper Leh Ward”.
“This is the kind of unrest Rahul Gandhi has been fantasising about?” Malviya wrote. Activist Sonam Wangchuk dismissed Malviya’s imaginations. “The Congress doesn’t have such influence here that it can manage to get 5,000 youth on the roads,” Wangchuk said, adding that Tsepang was upset because two people who were hospitalised on Tuesday belonged to his village. Wangchuk insisted the Congress does not have a Gen Z to flaunt.
But Wangchuk did say the incidents of violence in Leh were because frustration was building among the “Gen Z”. The four who lost their lives were all “youths”. Two of the hospitalized protestors were a 72-year-old man and a 62-year-old woman. Wangchuk said they were the immediate trigger for the youths protesting. A large number of ‘Gen Z’ youths came to the protest site and later hit the streets. About 2,000-5,000 youth.
Is there an “indirect reason” for the violence, in the form of “frustration building among the youths”? Surely there is dissatisfaction among the people. The October 6 date given by the home ministry for holding a meeting with the groups from Ladakh is a sour point. Did people know something like this would happen, when thousands would come out on the streets? Gen Z took to the streets. This is the people’s complaint here; that youths are not participating in the protest.
So, is it Gen Z protesting in Leh/Ladakh? (IPA Service)
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