{"id":305591,"date":"2025-09-26T19:31:05","date_gmt":"2025-09-26T14:01:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/?p=305591"},"modified":"2026-05-07T11:00:30","modified_gmt":"2026-05-07T05:30:30","slug":"ladakh-violence-bjp-falsely-claims-armed-man-in-viral-footage-is-congress-councillor-phuntsog-stanzin-tsepag","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/ladakh-violence-bjp-falsely-claims-armed-man-in-viral-footage-is-congress-councillor-phuntsog-stanzin-tsepag\/","title":{"rendered":"Ladakh violence: BJP falsely claims armed man in viral footage is Congress councillor Phuntsog Stanzin Tsepag"},"content":{"rendered":"

Against the backdrop of the violent protests in Ladakh, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra held a press conference on Wednesday, September 24, where he showed a picture of a man in sunglasses wearing a beige jacket and a firearm in hand. Patra claimed the man was Upper Leh ward Congress councillor Phuntsog Stanzin Tsepag.<\/p>\n

The Leh region witnessed unprecedented violence on September 24 as youth torched the regional office of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Later in the day, the Union home ministry issued a statement<\/a> ‘blaming’ climate activist Sonam Wangchuk for the unrest, alleging he had incited the mob by making provocative statements by mentioning the Arab Spring-style protest and the recent GenZ protests in Nepal.<\/p>\n

In addition to setting fire to the BJP’s local office, the protestors also allegedly torched a police vehicle, injuring at least 30 police personnel. In retaliation, the police fired bullets and tear gas, which reportedly resulted in the death of four people and the injury of dozens. “In self-defence, police had to resort to firing in which unfortunately some casualties are reported,” the home ministry statement said. Sonam Wangchuk was arrested<\/a> on September 26 by Leh police.<\/p>\n

The image Sambit Patra showed at the press meet was the following:<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Patra said that Gen Z was not behind the protests, but Congress was.<\/p>\n

[vimeo https:\/\/vimeo.com\/1122147681]<\/p>\n

This claim was amplified by several BJP ministers and Right-wing influencers. BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya shared the purported image of Tsepag on X and remarked, “Is this the kind of unrest Rahul Gandhi has been fantasising about?” (Archive<\/a>)<\/p>\n

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This man rioting in Ladakh is Phuntsog Stanzin Tsepag, Congress Councillor for Upper Leh Ward.<\/p>\n

He can be clearly seen instigating the mob and participating in violence that targeted the BJP office and the Hill Council.<\/p>\n

Is this the kind of unrest Rahul Gandhi has been\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/o2WHdcCIuC<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) September 24, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Kanchan Gupta, who claims to be a senior advisor to the Union ministry of information and broadcasting, also posted the image on X, saying that Congress councillor Phuntsog Stanzin Tsepag was behind the protest in Leh. (Archive<\/a>)<\/p>\n

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The person wearing a mask and carrying a rod was seen leading the violent mob which ran amok in Leh, Ladakh, on 24 September 2025.<\/p>\n

He is Phuntsog Stanzin Tsepag, Congress Councillor for Upper Leh Ward.<\/p>\n

He was seen instigating the mob and participating in the violence directed\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/6Vx6DwWCef<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Kanchan Gupta \ud83c\uddee\ud83c\uddf3 (@KanchanGupta) September 24, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

BJP MP Nishikant Dubey also tweeted the same image of the man and amplified the viral claim. (Archive<\/a>)<\/p>\n

\n

\u092f\u0939 \u0939\u0948 \u0930\u093e\u0939\u0941\u0932 \u0915\u0947 \u092e\u0941\u0939\u092c\u094d\u092c\u0924 \u0915\u0940 \u0926\u0941\u0915\u093e\u0928 \u0915\u093e \u091c\u092e\u0942\u0930\u093e \u091c\u093f\u0938\u0928\u0947 \u0906\u091c \u0932\u0926\u094d\u0926\u093e\u0916 \u092e\u0947\u0902 \u092d\u093e\u091c\u092a\u093e \u0915\u093e\u0930\u094d\u092f\u093e\u0932\u092f \u0915\u094b \u0906\u0917 \u0932\u0917\u093e\u0908,@RahulGandhi<\/a> \u0915\u093e \u0928\u093f\u0915\u091f\u0924\u092e \u0935\u094d\u092f\u0915\u094d\u0924\u093f,\u0938\u094b\u0930\u094b\u0938 \u0915\u0947 \u090f\u091c\u0947\u0902\u091f \u0915\u093e \u090f\u091c\u0947\u0902\u091f ,\u0930\u093e\u0939\u0941\u0932 \u0917\u093e\u0902\u0927\u0940 \u091c\u0940 \u0915\u0947 \u0938\u093e\u0925 \u0932\u093e\u0932 \u0936\u0930\u094d\u091f \u092e\u0947\u0902,\u0906\u091c \u092e\u093e\u0938\u094d\u0915 \u092a\u0939\u0928 \u0915\u0930 https:\/\/t.co\/ZnaBrGzsok<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/bhT6oEOYi4<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Dr Nishikant Dubey (@nishikant_dubey) September 24, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

News 18 India senior editor Aman Chopra, during a monologue in his show ‘Desh Nahi Jhukne Denge’, drew a link between the Nepal protests and the demonstrations in Ladakh. While doing so, he mentioned several times that the Congress councillor was seen instigating the mobs in Ladakh on September 24. “Congress has not denied it yet. How will they deny it, you can see such a big firearm in his hand…”, Chopra says. (Archive<\/a>)<\/p>\n

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CHRONOLOGY<\/p>\n

8 \u0938\u093f\u0924\u0902\u092c\u0930 – \u0928\u0947\u092a\u093e\u0932 \u092e\u0947\u0902 \u0939\u093f\u0902\u0938\u093e \u092b\u093f\u0930 \u0924\u0916\u094d\u0924\u093e\u092a\u0932\u091f
\n10 \u0938\u093f\u0924\u0902\u092c\u0930 – \u0938\u094b\u0928\u092e \u0935\u093e\u0902\u0917\u091a\u0941\u0915 \u0915\u0940 \u092d\u0942\u0916 \u0939\u0921\u093c\u0924\u093e\u0932 \u0936\u0941\u0930\u0942
\n18 \u0938\u093f\u0924\u0902\u092c\u0930 – \u0930\u093e\u0939\u0941\u0932 \u0917\u093e\u0902\u0927\u0940 \u0915\u093e GEN Z \u092a\u094b\u0938\u094d\u091f
\n24 \u0938\u093f\u0924\u0902\u092c\u0930 – \u0932\u0926\u094d\u0926\u093e\u0916 \u092e\u0947\u0902 \u0939\u093f\u0902\u0938\u093e \u0914\u0930 \u0909\u092a\u0926\u094d\u0930\u0935
\n24 \u0938\u093f\u0924\u0902\u092c\u0930- \u0915\u093e\u0902\u0917\u094d\u0930\u0947\u0938 \u0928\u0947\u0924\u093e \u0915\u093e \u0909\u0915\u0938\u093e\u0928\u0947 \u0935\u093e\u0932\u093e \u0935\u093f\u0921\u093f\u092f\u094b
\n25 \u0938\u093f\u0924\u0902\u092c\u0930 – \u0932\u0926\u094d\u0926\u093e\u0916 \u0939\u093f\u0902\u0938\u093e \u092e\u0947\u0902 \u0915\u0908 \u0928\u0947\u092a\u093e\u0932\u0940 \u092a\u0915\u0921\u093c\u0947 \u0917\u090f<\/p>\n

CLEAR ? pic.twitter.com\/3bWPjrb1ET<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Aman Chopra (@AmanChopra_) September 25, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Journalist Ashok Shrivastav also aired the same image on state-run Doordarshan News. In a tweet, he wrote, \u201cIs any proof still needed after this? And let the administration tell us when exactly his arrest will take place.\u201d (Archive<\/a>)<\/p>\n

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\u0932\u0926\u094d\u0926\u093e\u0916 \u092e\u0947\u0902 \u091c\u0939\u093e\u0902 \u091c\u0939\u093e\u0902 \u0906\u0917\u091c\u0928\u0940 \u0939\u0941\u0908, \u0935\u0939\u093e\u0902 \u0935\u0939\u093e\u0902 \u0915\u093e\u0902\u0917\u094d\u0930\u0947\u0938 \u0915\u093e \u090f\u0915 \u0915\u093e\u0909\u0902\u0938\u0932\u0930 \u092e\u0941\u0902\u0939 \u092a\u0930 \u092a\u091f\u094d\u091f\u0940 \u092c\u093e\u0902\u0927\u0947, \u0939\u093e\u0925 \u092e\u0947\u0902 \u0939\u0925\u093f\u092f\u093e\u0930 \u0932\u093f\u090f \u0932\u094b\u0917\u094b\u0902 \u0915\u094b \u0928\u093f\u0930\u094d\u0926\u0947\u0936\u093f\u0924 \u0915\u0930\u0924\u093e \u0926\u093f\u0916\u093e\u0964 \u0915\u094d\u092f\u093e \u0907\u0938\u0915\u0947 \u092c\u093e\u0926 \u092d\u0940 \u0915\u094b\u0908 \u092a\u094d\u0930\u092e\u093e\u0923 \u091a\u093e\u0939\u093f\u090f ? \u0914\u0930 \u092a\u094d\u0930\u0936\u093e\u0938\u0928 \u092c\u0924\u093e\u090f \u0915\u093f \u0906\u0916\u093f\u0930 \u0909\u0938\u0915\u0940 \u0917\u093f\u0930\u092b\u094d\u0924\u093e\u0930\u0940 \u0915\u092c \u0939\u094b\u0917\u0940 ?#DoTook<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/7dbWE0zZhz<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Ashok Shrivastav (@AshokShrivasta6) September 25, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Right-wing propaganda outlet OpIndia published a report with the headline, “Congress and Sonam Wangchuk collude to fuel unrest and mislead people of Ladakh: Read how talks with the Centre were kept under wraps”. The feature image of the report also shows the same man in the beige coat. “Footage and images have surfaced showing a Congress councilor actively inciting individuals while brandishing weapons”,\u00a0 reads a line in the report. (Archive<\/a>) This claim was also amplified by OpIndia editor Nupur J Sharma. (Archive<\/a>)<\/p>\n