Ladakh Lt Governor Kavinder Gupta on Wednesday said curfew has been imposed across the Leh district of the Union Territory after violent clashes in the cold desert that has left four people dead and scores injured.
Protest erupted over statehood demand for Ladakh amid growing resentment against direct central rule in the union territory.
The Lieutenant Governor has termed clashes as a conspiracy and vowed to act against all those involved in today's violence.
Security forces opened fire after violent crowds attacked police vehicles and the BJP headquarters in Ladakh.
After pulling down party flags, the mob set the BJP office on fire. Several vehicles were also burnt.
Mr Gupta blamed protesters for deaths and arson.
"Those who instigated protests are responsible for deaths in Ladakh today," the Lt Governor said.
Mr Gupta said that the mob even tried to "burn CRPF men inside the vehicle and vehicle of DGP Ladakh was also attacked by stone pelters". More than 30 police and CRPF personnel were injured in mob attacks, said the Centre in a statement.
The local leaders, however, allege use of disproportionate force by the security forces in Ladakh.
Meanwhile, appeals on social media were made for blood donation for injured admitted in hospital. Around 70 people have reportedly been injured during clashes and firing.
Condition of some of the injured is stated to be critical.
Official sources say several police and security forces personnel have also been injured during stone pelting.
Officials say government is trying to control the situation even as all the local leaders have appealed for calm.
After imposing restrictions, Lt Governor announced that curfew has been imposed as a "precautionary measure".
Over the past three years, Ladakh has seen growing unrest against direct central rule. Residents have repeatedly called for statehood and constitutional safeguards to protect their land, culture, and resources.
Ladakh was carved out as a separate Union Territory in August 2019, following the revocation of Article 370 and the bifurcation of the former state of Jammu and Kashmir.
At the time, many in Leh, including activist Sonam Wangchuk, had welcomed the move. But within a year, concerns began to mount over what residents described as a political vacuum under the administration of the Lieutenant Governor.
This discontent gave rise to large-scale protests and hunger strikes.
For the first time, political and religious groups from Buddhist-majority Leh and Muslim-majority Kargil joined hands under a joint platform: the Apex Body of Leh and the Kargil Democratic Alliance.
In response, the Centre set up a high-level committee to examine Ladakh's demands. However, successive rounds of talks yielded no breakthrough. In March this year, Ladakhi representatives met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi.
Talks collapsed soon afterwards. Local leaders said the Home Minister had rejected their core demands.
"During the meeting, the Home Minister told us that he had made a mistake by carving out Ladakh as a separate Union Territory. He also rejected our demand for statehood and the Sixth Schedule," one leader who attended the meeting told NDTV.
