The festering unrest in the Union Territory of Ladakh turned violent on September 24, 2025, which resulted in the deaths of four persons and several others being injured. In the eyes of the Centre, the protest leaders had acted in bad faith even as efforts were underway to address their long-standing demands.

These are Statehood for Ladakh, inclusion under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution (which grants autonomy to tribal areas), reservation in jobs for locals, and greater political representation. The leaders and organisations at the forefront of the agitation have, however, said that the arson and violence were carried out by those outside their control. The protesters and the Centre have appealed to the youth of Ladakh to remain calm.

The Ladakh protests have been championed by two major civil society coalitions — the Leh Apex Body (LAB), representing Buddhist-majority Leh, and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), representing Muslim-majority Kargil. While these groups do have many disagreements, they are united in a four-point agenda for constitutional safeguards and greater political autonomy for the region.

On Wednesday (September 24, 2025), a shutdown called by the youth wing of LAB turned violent in Leh, which included the burning of the office of the Bharatiya Janata Party and the vandalising of the headquarters of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC).