Detained climate activist Sonam Wangchuk’s wife, Gitanjali Angmo, on Friday said she does not wish to politicise her husband’s arrest as it “does not align” with the couple’s values.
Angmo vowed to fight the case for Wangchuk legally and on its merits while confirming that she has approached the Supreme Court seeking her husband’s immediate release.
“We have support from every corner, but as I have said from the start, I do not want to politicise this issue because that is not aligned with Sonam’s or my value system. We have always been apolitical. We want to fight this on its merits,” Angmo told ANI.
Sonam Wangchuk was detained under the National Security Act (NSA) and shifted to Jodhpur Central Jail in Rajasthan for allegedly inciting violent protests in Ladakh over statehood and the sixth schedule inclusion demand. The protests had turned violent last week, resulting in four deaths and hundreds injured.
While Geetanjali Angmo said that she wouldn’t politicise the issue, she welcomed any support she could get from anywhere, including the political realm.
“At the same time, we accept and appreciate support from everywhere, from influencers, the media, political houses, NGOs and civil society, even retired major generals and members of the army. You have seen positive support come in from all quarters, and we are grateful to each of you. But we do not want this to become a political issue or a political agenda. Sonam has dedicated his life to science, education, the environment and the youth with purity of purpose. We want to carry this forward in that same spirit,” she added.
Sonam Wangchuk’s wife moves the Supreme Court for her husband’s release
Gitanjali Angmo has approached the Supreme Court challenging Sonam Wangchuck’s recent detention under the NSA. The habeas corpus petition, filed under Article 32 of the Constitution, was filed on October 2 following Wangchuk’s arrest on September 26.
While the specific grounds raised in the petition are yet to be made public, the matter is expected to be taken up for urgent hearing once the Supreme Court reopens after the Dussehra break on October 6.
On September 30, the Ladakh administration issued a statement justifying Wangchuk’s detention, accusing him of repeatedly invoking the idea of “self-immolation” in his public speeches, drawing parallels to protest tactics used in Tibet. Officials claim this rhetoric posed a serious threat to public order.
The administration confirmed that the “grounds of detention” were formally served to Wangchuk, who remains incarcerated under the NSA—a law that allows for preventive detention in cases involving national security or public order concerns.
