Centre cancels Sonam Wangchuk-led NGO’s FCRA registration | What are the charges

The move came just 24 hours after violent protests in Ladakh over statehood demands that resulted in four deaths.

Sources said the Home Ministry has blamed Wangchuk’s “provocative speeches” for allegedly inciting a mob to attack a local BJP office and that of the Ladakh election officer. Investigations, they added, flagged “serious financial irregularities” in SECMOL’s functioning, including repeat violations of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA).

According to the government’s notification, a show-cause notice had been served on September 10 with four specific queries.

One concerned Wangchuk depositing ₹3.35 lakh into the nonprofit’s FCRA account. SECMOL said the amount came from selling an old bus purchased with FCRA funds, but the government rejected the explanation as “not tenable,” ruling that the entry was not reflected in the FCRA account and appeared to be received in cash, violating Section 17 of the Act.

ALSO READ: After Centre blames Sonam Wangchuk for Ladakh violence, CBI comes knocking at his doors

The government also flagged a ₹4.93 lakh donation from a Swedish donor for “youth awareness” programmes on climate change, migration, and food security, terming it “against the national interest of the country.” Two further transactions of ₹19,600 and ₹79,200 were also cited as wrongfully entered into SECMOL’s FCRA accounts.

Wangchuk Responds to Possible Arrest

Sonam Wangchuk, widely regarded as the face of the Ladakhi statehood movement and who recently staged a hunger strike in support of the demand, responded to the government’s actions. Speaking to a news agency, he said, “I see they are building up a case to bring me under the Public Safety Act and throw me in jail for two years. I am ready… but a Sonam Wangchuk in jail may cause them more problems than a free Sonam Wangchuk.”