New Delhi: A 25-year-old woman whose heated confrontation with security personnel at the Minimarg check post in Ladakh went viral has apologised to the Indian Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police and Ladakh Police. She said that she deeply respects the armed forces and regrets the remarks made during the incident. She said the six-hour wait amid a security-related road closure left her distressed and frustrated, however, she never intended to insult the armed forces or gain popularity in media through the episode. The woman apologised the Indian Army, while speaking to a private media platform.
The incident, which triggered a heated debate on social media, took place around Kargil Vijay Diwas on July 26, according to Ladakh Police. The road near the Minimarg check post in the Dras area had reportedly been temporarily restricted as part of the security arrangements. This had temporarily affected the movement along the Minimarg-Zoji La-Sonamarg route.
In the viral video, the woman can be seen confronting the security personnel and questioning why travellers were being stopped while some people, including a minister, had apparently been allowed to pass. She is heard repeatedly saying, “We are Gen Z. We will not tolerate this nonsense”, and urged other travellers to join her in protesting the road closure.
The video quickly spread across social media, drawing criticism over the conduct of the traveller. Several former Army officers came out in support of the personnel deployed at the location. Speaking to NDTV for the first time since the video went viral, the woman said she had been travelling from Ladakh to Delhi and was unaware that a VIP movement would lead to the road being closed.
“I respect the Indian Army so much. I could never dream that they would feel bad because of something I said,” she said, explaining that the group had initially waited for three to four hours before being told that the closure could continue for another hour.
‘Whatever I said in frustration was very wrong’
According to the woman, the additional hour passed without the road reopening. The total waiting period eventually reached around six hours. She claimed that the travellers later heard shouting from ahead. The traveller also said that she moved forward to understand what was happening and became caught in the middle of the confrontation. At the time, she complained that she was unwell and frustrated after being unable to use facilities during the prolonged wait.
However, she acknowledged that the language she used during the confrontation was inappropriate.
“Whatever I said in frustration was not right at all. It was very wrong”, she said. The woman also said that the viral video had caused her considerable emotional distress and that she had never expected the footage to spread so widely.
She apologised to the people of the country, the Indian Army, J&K Police and Ladakh Police, while also expressing regret over remarks involving Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. The phrase “We are Gen Z” became a particular focus of the controversy. Asked about it, she said it was not intended as a political statement or an attempt to associate herself with Gen-Z protests. She claimed that people around her had been provoking her and that the phrase came out spontaneously in the heat of the moment.
Offending the Indian Army under the guise of Gen Z should be dealt by law: Lt Gen MK Das
Speaking to Organiser Weekly Lt Gen (Retd) MK Das condemned the actions of the viral traveller in Ladakh. He said that such irresponsible approach towards the Army and the security personnel should be dealt by the law. “The lady’s conduct is deplorable. From her utterance, it is clear that she has scant regard for the law of the land, including comments on the Indian Army. The FIR should be filed and the law should deal with her. The punishment or the process of law should act as a deterrent to the potential offenders, under the garb of Gen Z”, Lt Gen (Retd) MK Das reitertaed.
