Activist Sonam Wangchuk on Thursday reiterated his support for the Kokroche Janta Party (CJP) while rejecting Ladakh Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena’s claim that he is “unsure” about the movement’s online origins.
The Ladakh activist, who considers himself an ‘honorary cockroach’, was speaking about the recent allegations made by VK Saxena regarding the CJP and the recent meeting with Wangchuk.
Wangchuk described the Janta Cockroach Party as a “creative expression” of youth, and said the government should listen to youth, instead of “feeling insecure.”
Talking about his meeting with Saxena, he said: “LG Ladakh invited us to a meeting over a cup of tea. We spent almost an hour in a friendly and cordial atmosphere discussing his initiatives, our work and possibilities for cooperation. An hour after we left, we were surprised, and not very pleased, to see that he tweeted in a tone as if he were scolding or warning us.”
Wangchuk and Angmo visited the Lieutenant Governor at Raj Bhawan on Tuesday.
He added: “I thought this might have been to please some manager somewhere in Delhi who had instructed him to call me and tell me such things, but the meeting was not like that, only the tweet was like that.”
What did Ladakh LG say?
Ladakh LG VK Saxena posted a “candid” meeting with activist Sonam Wangchuk and his wife, Gitanjali Angmu, where he made a series of allegations regarding the activist’s recent statements and support for the CJP.
The LG said he warned Wangchuk against “weaving a misleading and provocative narrative” and claimed that the activist accepted that comparing Ladakh to Manipur was an “error in judgement”.
Also Read: Concerns over monsoon deepen as rainfall forecast drops to 90% of normal
Saxena also claimed that Wangchuk was unsure of the origins of the Kokrawach Janta Party and said he would “examine the motives of its founders and reconsider its position, if necessary”.
Sonam Wangchuk responds
Sonam Wangchuk took to X on Thursday to clarify VK Saxena’s statements, saying the meeting was cordial and did not resemble the tone reflected in LG’s public statements.
Talking about LG Saxena’s allegation over the recent remarks on Manipur, Wangchuk said the interaction did not carry any warning or reprimand.
Regarding Saxena’s claim on the CJP, the activist said: “During the conversation, he mentioned that the remark I made about the Cockroach Janta Party belonged to him… He told me that I should not make such statements, it would be fine… I said that I consider this (CJP) to be a creative expression of the youth. The government, instead of feeling insecure, should listen to the demands of the youth.”
Also Read: Sister Shifts to New Home, Relatives Settlement: 5 Shocking Developments in Nikki Bhatti’s ‘Dowry Murder’ Case
Wangchuk said he believes LG’s public messaging may have been intended to meet political expectations elsewhere.
“I thought this might have been to please some manager somewhere in Delhi who had instructed him to call me and tell me such things, but the meeting was not like that, only the tweet was like that,” he said.
He added: “I am a big fan of the Sarsour Party, and I will remain as it is… I adhere to what I said that I am an honorary cockroach and I support it.”
Last week, Wangchuk expressed his support for the online “cockroach” movement led by the Janata Party, describing himself as an “honorary cockroach.” He also urged the government to address concerns raised by young people.
