<p>New Delhi: Social entrepreneur and educator Gitanjali Angmo on Monday challenged authorities for an open debate on allegations against her activist-husband Sonam Wangchuk, including suggestions of links with Pakistan, even as she described it as a "witch-hunt" by spreading "baseless narratives" aimed at projecting him as an "anti-national".</p><p>Angmo told reporters here that there was no need to invoke the National Security Act on Wangchuk, who has been detained in Rajasthan's Jodhpur after his arrest in Ladakh. She said she decided to travel to Delhi to counter the "one-sided narrative" after she felt that she was "almost in a house arrest".</p><p>Wangchuk was on a hunger strike seeking statehood and extension of the Sixth Schedule to Ladakh and is accused of instigating violence in Ladakh on September 14, which led to the killing of four people and injuring over 50.</p><p>Referring to September 24 violence, she said, "when the violence happened, Sonam was sitting at the site of the hunger strike. He did not even know what was happening...Wangchuk is not answerable for the violence. The administration should tell why there was a breach and why there was violence."</p><p>Angmo, who is associated with Himalayan Institute of Alternatives Ladakh (HIAL) and Students' Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh (SECMOL), said she has not been able to contact Wangchuk nor has she been provided official papers related to the charges slapped on Wangchuk. She claimed there is a "witch-hunt".</p>.KDA demands unconditional release of Sonam Wangchuk, says Centre 'alienating' people of Ladakh.<p>She claimed they had provided all required documents to the CBI and Income Tax Department but a "smokescreen is being created to defame" Wangchuk so that the protest for the Sixth Schedule can be weakened.</p><p>On the Ministry of Home Ministry cancelling SECMOL's license to collect foreign donations, she said the concept of "food sovereignty" was misinterpreted as "sovereignty of the country". "If they are claiming that a Pakistani was spotted in Ladakh, our question is how did you allow the security breach?...MHA needs to clarify why a Pakistani was in Ladakh," she said.</p><p>She also said Wangchuk during his visit to Pakistan in February for a climate conference had appreciated Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Mission LiFE' from the stage in the neighbouring country.</p><p>He rebuffed criticism of Wangchuk being a Magsaysay award winner saying, around 60 Indians, including Vinoba Bhave, Satyajit Ray, MS Subbalakshmi and MS Swaminathan, were chosen for this recognition and around 20 of them were selected for Padma awards. "Does that mean the government is giving awards to anti-nationals?" she asked.</p>
<p>New Delhi: Social entrepreneur and educator Gitanjali Angmo on Monday challenged authorities for an open debate on allegations against her activist-husband Sonam Wangchuk, including suggestions of links with Pakistan, even as she described it as a "witch-hunt" by spreading "baseless narratives" aimed at projecting him as an "anti-national".</p><p>Angmo told reporters here that there was no need to invoke the National Security Act on Wangchuk, who has been detained in Rajasthan's Jodhpur after his arrest in Ladakh. She said she decided to travel to Delhi to counter the "one-sided narrative" after she felt that she was "almost in a house arrest".</p><p>Wangchuk was on a hunger strike seeking statehood and extension of the Sixth Schedule to Ladakh and is accused of instigating violence in Ladakh on September 14, which led to the killing of four people and injuring over 50.</p><p>Referring to September 24 violence, she said, "when the violence happened, Sonam was sitting at the site of the hunger strike. He did not even know what was happening...Wangchuk is not answerable for the violence. The administration should tell why there was a breach and why there was violence."</p><p>Angmo, who is associated with Himalayan Institute of Alternatives Ladakh (HIAL) and Students' Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh (SECMOL), said she has not been able to contact Wangchuk nor has she been provided official papers related to the charges slapped on Wangchuk. She claimed there is a "witch-hunt".</p>.KDA demands unconditional release of Sonam Wangchuk, says Centre 'alienating' people of Ladakh.<p>She claimed they had provided all required documents to the CBI and Income Tax Department but a "smokescreen is being created to defame" Wangchuk so that the protest for the Sixth Schedule can be weakened.</p><p>On the Ministry of Home Ministry cancelling SECMOL's license to collect foreign donations, she said the concept of "food sovereignty" was misinterpreted as "sovereignty of the country". "If they are claiming that a Pakistani was spotted in Ladakh, our question is how did you allow the security breach?...MHA needs to clarify why a Pakistani was in Ladakh," she said.</p><p>She also said Wangchuk during his visit to Pakistan in February for a climate conference had appreciated Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Mission LiFE' from the stage in the neighbouring country.</p><p>He rebuffed criticism of Wangchuk being a Magsaysay award winner saying, around 60 Indians, including Vinoba Bhave, Satyajit Ray, MS Subbalakshmi and MS Swaminathan, were chosen for this recognition and around 20 of them were selected for Padma awards. "Does that mean the government is giving awards to anti-nationals?" she asked.</p>