Mumbai: Activists of Save Aarey Forest movement on Sunday demanded that educationist and environmentalist Sonam Wangchuk, who was arrested in the aftermath of the recent unrest over statehood demand in Ladakh, be freed from jail.While marking the sixth anniversary of the movement with a demonstration in Aarey Colony, they said Wangchuk’s arrest and imprisonment “has shocked many nature lovers”. “He was peacefully protesting for various rights of the people of Ladakh. When violence erupted there, he had urged people to use non-violence to reach out to the authorities. Hence, we are surprised why he was jailed so suddenly,” said citizen activist Shivani Bhatt. She said the demonstration also sought to protest plans for a Metro Bhavan tower, a zoo and an SRA complex within Aarey. “These will fully destroy this green zone.” —Vijay Singh
