New Delhi, Sept. 28 -- The Opposition on Saturday continued their criticism of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Union government over its handling of the recent violent protests in Ladakh and the arrest of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk in connection with the incident, saying the detention "exposes the authoritarian character" of the Centre. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge condemned the "pathetic handling" of the situation and Wangchuk's arrest under the draconian National Security Act (NSA), saying, "At the heart of the crisis lies the BJP's persistent betrayal of the aspirations of people of Ladakh." Kharge alleged that there has been turmoil in the Union Territory for a year over the demands for Ladakh's inclusion under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, noting that the Narendra Modi-led government is responding with violence instead of "lending a patient hearing to the cries of the people". Demanding a judicial probe, he said, "The democratic institutions and democracy need to be revived and restored in Ladakh." Congress leader Jairam Ramesh argued that in 2019, the National Commission on Scheduled Tribes had recommended that Ladakh be brought under the Sixth Schedule. "The Home Ministry, Law Ministry, and the Tribal Affairs Ministry all expressed no objection. It also featured as a promise in the BJP manifesto for the 2020 Leh Hill Council Election.Sonam Wangchuk was only repeating this demand. But he now finds himself in jail without bail..." he said in a post on X. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) also condemned Wangchuk's arrest and called for his immediate release. "His detention under the draconian National Security Act exposes the authoritarian character of the BJP-led central government and its contempt for the genuine aspirations of the people of Ladakh," CPI(M) said in a statement....