Days after the statehood protest in Ladakh turned violent, leading to the death of four demonstrators, jailed activist Sonam Wangchuk is facing growing scrutiny and allegations of being “anti-national.” In response, his wife Gitanjali Angmo has come out strongly in his defence, calling the accusations baseless and politically motivated.

On Monday, Angmo took to social media platform X to share two photos of Nobel laureate and current interim Bangladeshi leader Mohammed Yunus — one with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the other with her husband. “If it’s okay for the honourable PM to meet Mohammed Yunus, why is it a problem when Sonam Wangchuk, India’s educator and innovator, meets him?” she asked.

Her remarks were directed at social media chatter accusing Wangchuk of “conspiring” with foreign elements, especially those allegedly involved in the ouster of Sheikh Hasina's government in Bangladesh. Security agencies have cited Wangchuk’s past references to youth-led movements in Nepal and Bangladesh as “evidence” that he incited the September 24 violence in Leh, where protests for Ladakh’s statehood turned deadly. Wangchuk is currently being held in Jodhpur under the National Security Act, which allows detention without trial for up to a year.

While Leh remains under curfew and largely peaceful, tensions are high. Angmo, herself an activist and educationist, has maintained that Wangchuk’s speeches were misinterpreted. On Sunday, she also defended his participation in a UN climate conference held in Pakistan earlier this year — a trip Ladakh police cited as a possible "foreign link." She questioned the double standards, pointing out that India continues to engage with Pakistan through cricket and diplomacy, while Wangchuk is being targeted for attending a UN event.

The now-viral image of Wangchuk with Yunus was originally shared by Wangchuk himself in 2020, after a meeting at the British High Commission in Dhaka. At the time, Sheikh Hasina was still in power. Yunus later took charge as Bangladesh’s interim leader in August 2024, following a youth-led uprising. His meeting with PM Modi occurred in April 2025 during a summit in Bangkok.

Angmo’s defence highlights a deeper diplomatic tension, as India has grown increasingly wary of Dhaka’s interim government, particularly over rising attacks on minorities.