"Leading activist says three to five people feared killed in police fire, but no official word yet on casualty figures. A protest in the Indian Himalayan region of Ladakh demanding statehood for the federal territory has turned violent as protesters clashed with police and set fire to a paramilitary vehicle and the office of the country's governing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Police fired tear gas on Wednesday and charged demonstrators with batons, injuring dozens of them, police said."
"The protests are part of a larger movement in the federally governed region that seeks statehood and constitutional provisions from the Indian government for autonomy over land and agricultural decisions. Ladakh lost its autonomy in 2019 when Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government carved the region out of India-administered Kashmir. Since then, the majority Muslim-Buddhist territory has been directly governed from New Delhi. Protesters have called for Ladakh to be given special status that would allow for the creation of elected local bodies to protect its tribal areas."
Clashes erupted in Leh, Ladakh, during protests demanding statehood and constitutional safeguards, with demonstrators setting fire to a paramilitary vehicle and a BJP office. Police used tear gas and baton charges, injuring dozens and leaving some in critical condition. Authorities banned assemblies of more than five people in Leh district following the violence. No official casualty count has been released; a local activist on hunger strike said three to five people are feared killed by police gunfire, though independent verification of casualty figures is lacking. The movement seeks autonomy over land and agriculture and restoration of local elected bodies.
Read at www.aljazeera.com
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