Climate activist and educationist Sonam Wangchuk has appealed to President Droupadi Murmu to urgently intervene in Ladakh, alleging that the Lieutenant Governor-led administration is running a targeted campaign to defame him and other critics in the Union Territory, news agency PTI reported.His appeal comes amid administrative action against institutions associated with him, including the cancellation of the land lease of the Himalayan Institute of Alternatives, Ladakh, in August 2025.Wangchuk and his wife, HIAL co-founder and CEO Gitanjali J Angmo, have alleged that the action is part of a politically motivated campaign linked to demands for Sixth Schedule safeguards and statehood for Ladakh.The Ladakh administration cancelled HIAL's lease, citing its failure to execute the lease deed and pay the required premium within the stipulated period. It also alleged that the land was not being used for its intended purpose.

The administration has directed HIAL not to undertake further activities related to the functioning of its Desert Flower School. Wangchuk and Angmo have attributed the delay in finalising the land deal to bureaucratic hurdles.Separately, a labour court in Leh on Saturday, November 7, reserved its order in a case involving allegations that a former HIAL employee was denied statutory maternity benefits and treated unfairly, PTI reported.

In a video message posted on X, Wangchuk released excerpts from what he described as a sting operation conducted by his lawyers.He alleged that a creative agency associated with two social media pages was involved in efforts to target him and promote the work of Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena.Wangchuk said two Facebook and Instagram pages, 'Ladakh Lens' and 'Ladakh Vision,' appeared on October 14, a day after Saxena spoke about him at the India Today Conclave in Mumbai on October 13.He alleged that the same creative agency had created both pages and that similarities in their appearance and timing prompted his lawyers to investigate.The purported video contains excerpts from a conversation between the lawyers and the agency's alleged owner.The person speaks about possible links with the L-G's team, offers to arrange contacts in Ladakh and refers to a Pune-based company handling the work.Wangchuk alleged that the conversation indicated the Saxena-led administration's involvement in organising online campaigns against its critics. He also claimed that national resources were being used to discredit Ladakhi leaders.In his appeal to the President, Wangchuk raised wider concerns about governance in Ladakh and alleged that democratic rights and freedom of expression were being restricted under the L-G administration.He claimed that even comments and likes on social media had led to first information reports and arrests.He questioned several administrative measures and alleged that policies related to land, industry, power and tourism favoured corporate interests over those of local communities.He also criticised the liquor policy, claiming that the number of mandatory No Objection Certificates (NOCs) required to open liquor outlets in villages had been reduced from 16 to six.Wangchuk further alleged that institutions associated with him were facing administrative harassment.He said he had initially shared the purported sting-operation material with a senior Union Home Ministry official and sought intervention, but communication stopped after a few exchanges.He said he had been reluctant to make the material public because of concerns that it could affect the country's dignity and morale.

Wangchuk added that he had released only selected excerpts and was withholding further material from the Lok Niwas for now.Wangchuk urged President Murmu to ensure equal rights, democratic freedoms and justice for people living in border regions, including Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh.There was no immediate response from the L-G's office to the allegations, according to PTI.- Ends