Last Updated:
Government sources say fomenting civil unrest and having ulterior resources to do so is a major red alarm and such elements need to be taken away from their den
Sonam Wangchuk (left) and Amritpal Singh (right) have been taken far away from their areas of influence. (News18)
From Punjab to Dibrugarh, Assam. From Leh to Jodhpur, Rajasthan. This has been the fate of two trouble-mongers, Amritpal Singh and Sonam Wangchuk, after their arrests. They both are facing long detentions after being booked under the National Security Act.
But why such drastic moves? The idea of the Centre is simple. Fomenting civil unrest and having ulterior resources to do so is a major red alarm, top government sources say. Such elements need to be taken away from their den, and into oblivion, sources add.
Recommended Stories
Amritpal Singh tried to create havoc in Punjab two years ago by instigating youth into separatism, taking on the police and administration, and hobnobbing with the ISI. He dodged the agencies for a month before being nabbed. The government chose to take him nearly 3,000 kms away from Punjab to the country’s other border—the Dibrugarh jail in Assam. That has been his home for the last two years.
The Dibrugarh jail is also a very secure jail and the Centre’s idea was to keep Amritpal away from other prisoners in Punjab’s jail where he may have indoctrinated them. It is another matter that he got elected as an MP from Punjab in the Lok Sabha elections, from behind bars. But the Centre did blunt his Khalistani narrative from gaining further ground in a sensitive state like Punjab.
Sonam Wangchuk’s case seems a repeat of Amritpal Singh. Wangchuk has been taken 1,500 kilometres away from Leh to the country’s other border—Jodhpur jail in Rajasthan. He faces the NSA too. The reasons are also similar to Amritpal Singh. Wangchuk is seen as the prime instigator of the violence in Leh, which has been a peace zone for decades. The government said so in an official statement. His financial dealings and questionable remittances into his NGO are under the scanner too, prompting the FCRA clearance for his NGO to be cancelled.
Taking Wangchuk out of Leh was important as there is a fragile peace in the UT and Wangchuk had called another press conference in Leh on Friday before he was arrested and whisked away. The Centre felt Wangchuk’s presence in Leh has the potential of inflaming tensions again. The UT is a sensitive zone on the China border and the Centre wants to take no chances here.
Jodhpur jail in Rajasthan is a well-thought out choice as it is a secure jail. High-profile prisoners like Lawrence Bishnoi, Asaram, and actor Salman Khan have been lodged here. Wangchuk could now spend a lot of time here while serving his detention under the NSA and is headed for a long legal battle in the courts. The Centre feels that taking Wangchuk out of Leh will give the region time to heal and prepare a constructive atmosphere of talks with the genuine stakeholders of the region.
Be it Amritpal or Wangchuk, the Centre is no mood to tolerate those questioning the sovereignty of the country.
About the Author
Aman Sharma, Executive Editor – National Affairs at CNN-News18, and Bureau Chief at News18 in Delhi, has over two decades of experience in covering the wide spectrum of politics and the Prime Minister’s Office….Read More
Aman Sharma, Executive Editor – National Affairs at CNN-News18, and Bureau Chief at News18 in Delhi, has over two decades of experience in covering the wide spectrum of politics and the Prime Minister’s Office…. Read More
September 27, 2025, 11:56 IST
Loading comments…
Read More
