Sonam Wangchuk (PTI photo)
NEW DELHI: Activist Sonam Wangchuk on Thursday doubled down on his support for the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) and rejected Ladakh lieutenant governor VK Saxena’s claim that he was unsure about the online movement’s origins. Wangchuk also questioned the LG’s public portrayal of their recent meeting, saying the tone of Saxena’s social media post sharply contrasted with the cordial discussion he and his wife had with him.Recalling the meeting, Wangchuk said he was surprised by the message conveyed through Saxena’s post on X after what he described as a friendly and constructive discussion.”I thought this was maybe to please some boss somewhere in Delhi who had instructed him to call me up and say such things, but the meeting was none like this, only the tweet was,” he said.The educationist said he chose not to respond immediately and waited several days before addressing the matter publicly.He said he deliberately refrained from reacting to what he described as “childish behaviour” and responded only after the remarks were carried by several newspapers.The exchange followed a post by Saxena on Tuesday after meeting Wangchuk and his wife, HIAL co-founder Gitanjali J Angmo. In the post, the lieutenant governor said he had cautioned the activist against “weaving a misleading and provocative narrative” and claimed Wangchuk had accepted that comparing Ladakh with Manipur was an “error of judgement”. Saxena also stated that Wangchuk was uncertain about the origins of the Cockroach Janta Party and had agreed to study the motivations of its founders before reconsidering his position if necessary.Rejecting those assertions, Wangchuk said the meeting took place over tea and lasted nearly an hour in what he described as a warm and cordial atmosphere.”The LG Ladakh invited us for some meeting over a cup of tea. We spent nearly an hour in a cordial and friendly atmosphere discussing his initiatives, our work and possibilities of collaboration,” Wangchuk told news agency PTI.According to him, the lieutenant governor did raise his comments comparing Ladakh with Manipur and his support for the Cockroach Janta Party, but there was no warning or reprimand during the discussion.”One hour after we left, we were surprised, and not very pleasantly, to see that he had tweeted in a tone as if he had censured us or cautioned us,” he said.Wangchuk also disputed Saxena’s claim that he had described the Manipur comparison as a mistake.”I don’t think it is an error of my judgment. I still totally stand by it,” he said, adding that he had merely remarked that using the example was “avoidable” under the circumstances.”Avoidable is very different from an error of judgment,” Wangchuk said.He further rejected the suggestion that he had distanced himself from the Cockroach Janta Party. According to Wangchuk, Saxena had described the movement as being influenced by foreign powers and external funding sources, claims he neither accepted nor endorsed.”I never said I was unsure of the origins and would revisit my stand that way,” he asserted.Wangchuk said the lieutenant governor had referred to the movement as “unfortunate” and alleged links to organisations such as the Soros Foundation as well as countries including Pakistan and Bangladesh.”Inside me, I was laughing at this story that he was telling the person who was jailed under NSA with exactly such stories. You are supplying the same story to the person who was subjected to these,” he said.The Magsaysay Award winner reiterated his support for the online movement and described himself as an admirer of its campaign.”I’m a huge admirer of Cockroach Party, and I remain the same… I stand by what I said that I am an honorary cockroach and I support it,” he said.Wangchuk maintained that he had only expressed willingness to review any evidence presented regarding the group’s origins and that such openness should not be interpreted as a withdrawal of support.Appealing directly to the movement’s founder Abhijeet Dipke, whom he referred to as the ‘cockroach-in-chief’, Wangchuk said, “I’m formally asking Mr Dipke to give me the figures.”Dipke, who founded the satirical social media platform that later evolved into an online movement, has previously denied allegations of substantial foreign backing. He has shared audience data on X claiming that more than 94 per cent of the group’s followers are from India and has dismissed suggestions that its support base is dominated by foreign or Pakistani users.Wangchuk said making such data public would help settle the debate.”If it is an Indian youth initiative with foreign following, I become an even bigger admirer and supporter… Even if 70 per cent are from India and the rest are spread in several countries, it makes India a vishvaguru at least in creative protests,” he remarked.In his earlier post, Saxena said both sides had agreed that “an air of positivity” should prevail in Ladakh and cautioned that protests such as those witnessed in the Union Territory last year could hurt tourism and economic activity.The exchange comes shortly after discussions between Ladakh representatives and a Ministry of Home Affairs sub-committee. In previous interviews, Wangchuk had expressed concern that Ladakh risked heading towards divisions similar to those seen in Manipur, though he later said the recent talks had helped improve the atmosphere.
