New Delhi, May 28, 2026 : Education reformer and climate activist Sonam Wangchuk on Thursday strongly rejected claims made by Ladakh Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena regarding his stance on the online movement known as the “Cockroach Janta Party” (CJP), asserting that he continues to fully support the initiative and proudly considers himself an “honorary cockroach.”
The remarks came after the Ladakh LG, in a post on X earlier this week, claimed that Wangchuk had accepted that comparing Ladakh with Manipur was an “error of judgement” and had expressed uncertainty about the origins and motivations of the Cockroach Janta Party.
Responding publicly, Wangchuk said the meeting with Saxena had been cordial and constructive, and did not resemble the tone reflected in the LG’s social media statement.
“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 said.
He stated that while Saxena raised questions regarding his recent remarks on Ladakh and his support for the CJP movement, there was no warning, reprimand or confrontation during the interaction.
“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,” Wangchuk remarked.
The activist further suggested that the public messaging may have been politically motivated.
“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.
Wangchuk clarified that he deliberately avoided reacting immediately to what he described as “childish behaviour” and chose to respond only after the remarks gained widespread media attention.
Rejecting the LG’s assertion that he admitted his comparison between Ladakh and Manipur was wrong, Wangchuk said he still stood by his remarks.
“I don’t think it is an error of my judgment. I still totally stand by it,” he said, while clarifying that he had only mentioned the example may have been “avoidable” in the prevailing circumstances.
“Avoidable is very different from an error of judgment,” he added.
Wangchuk also firmly denied claims that he distanced himself from the Cockroach Janta Party movement.
According to him, Saxena had described the movement as influenced by foreign powers and allegedly funded by external entities such as the Soros Foundation, Pakistan and Bangladesh — allegations Wangchuk said he neither accepted nor endorsed.
“I never said I was unsure of the origins and would revisit my stand that way,” Wangchuk asserted.
Referring to his own past experiences, Wangchuk remarked that similar allegations had previously been used against him during his detention under the National Security Act (NSA).
“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 Ramon Magsaysay Award winner emphasised that governments should not feel threatened by satirical or protest movements and should instead engage with the concerns being raised by citizens.
“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,” Wangchuk stated.
He clarified that he had merely expressed willingness to review any evidence placed before him regarding the origins or funding of the movement, but that openness should not be interpreted as withdrawal of support.
Wangchuk also appealed directly to CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke, whom he referred to as the “cockroach-in-chief,” requesting that data related to the movement’s audience and reach be made public.
Dipke, who founded the satirical social media platform that evolved into a larger online movement, had earlier rejected allegations of substantial foreign backing.
In posts shared on X, Dipke claimed that more than 94 per cent of the movement’s social media audience originated from India and dismissed allegations that the platform was dominated by foreign or Pakistani users.
“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,” Wangchuk remarked.
Earlier, in his post, LG VK Saxena had said both sides agreed that maintaining a “positive atmosphere” in Ladakh was important and warned that prolonged protests could negatively impact tourism and economic activity in the Union Territory.
The developments come shortly after discussions between Ladakh representatives and a Ministry of Home Affairs sub-committee regarding key demands and concerns related to the region.
