The Delhi High Court on Tuesday closed the
proceedings on a plea seeking permission for climate activist Sonam Wangchuk
and others to hold a peaceful protest at Jantar Mantar here.
Petitioner Apex Body Leh's counsel said they no
longer wished to press the plea as the protest stood withdrawn following a
discussion with the authorities.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who was representing
Delhi Police, added that Wangchuk has also withdrawn his fast and, therefore,
the petition might not survive.
Wangchuk -- who had been sitting on an indefinite
fast at Delhi's Ladakh Bhawan since October 6 -- ended his fast on Monday
evening after the home ministry assured him that the talks on Ladakh's demands
will resume in December.
In view of the statements of the parties, a bench of
Justices Prathiba M Singh and Amit Sharma said, "Petition is dismissed as
withdrawn." Wangchuk and his associates from Ladakh had marched to
the national capital to demand the inclusion of Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule
of the Constitution. They were detained at the capital's Singhu border by the
Delhi Police and released on the night of October 2.
The march was organised by the Apex Body Leh, which
along with the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), has been spearheading an
agitation for the past four years to demand statehood for Ladakh, its inclusion
under the Sixth Schedule, early recruitment process along with a public service
commission for Ladakh and separate Lok Sabha seats for Leh and Kargil
districts.
The Sixth Schedule
pertains to the administration of tribal areas in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura,
and Mizoram as "autonomous districts and autonomous regions".
On October 21, Joint Secretary, Jammu and Kashmir
and Ladakh, Prashant Lokhande met the activists and handed them a letter from
the home ministry.
The letter said the high-powered committee of the
ministry, which was holding talks with representatives from Ladakh, will meet
them next on December 3.
Following this, Wangchuk and his supporters decided
to break their fast and called off the sit-in.
On October 9, the high court had asked the Delhi
Police to respond to the plea seeking permission to hold a peaceful protest at
Jantar Mantar.