Activist Sonam Wangchuk on Thursday reiterated his support to the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) while rejecting Ladakh Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena's claim that he was "unsure" of the online movement's origins.
The Ladakh activist, who considers himself an "honorary cockroach", was speaking over recent claims made by VK Saxena regarding the CJP and about the recent meeting with Wangchuk.
Calling the Cockroach Janta Party a "creative expression" of the youths, Wangchuk said the government should listen to the youths, instead of "getting insecure".
Speaking of his meeting with Saxena, he said, “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. 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 and Angmo called on the Lieutenant Governor at Raj Bhawan on Tuesday.
{{/usCountry}}Wangchuk and Angmo called on the Lieutenant Governor at Raj Bhawan on Tuesday.
{{/usCountry}}"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 added.
What did Ladakh LG said?
Ladakh LG VK Saxena posted of a 'candid' meeting with activist Sonam Wangchuk and his wife, Gitanjali Angmo, where he made a series of claims regarding the activist's recent remarks and support for the CJP.
The LG said he cautioned Wangchuk against "weaving a misleading and provocative narrative" and claimed that the activist accepted that comparing Ladakh with Manipur was an “error of judgement.”
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Saxena further claimed that Wangchuk was unsure about the origins of the Cockroach Janta Party and said he would "study the motivations of its founders and revisit his stand, if necessary."
Sonam Wangchuk responds
Sonam Wangchuk took to X on Thursday to clarify on VK Saxena's statements, saying the meeting was cordial and did not resemble the tone reflected in the LG's public remarks.
Speaking on LG Saxena's claim on recent statements over Manipur, Wangchuk said the interaction did not carry any warning or reprimand.
On Saxena's claim over the CJP, the activist said, "During the conversation, he mentioned that the remark I made on the Cockroach Janta Party concerns him... He told me that I should not make such statements then it will be good... I said I considered this (CJP) a creative expression of the youths. The government, instead of getting insecure, should listen to the demands of the youths."
Wangchuk said he believed the LG's public messaging may have been intended to satisfy political expectations elsewhere.
"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.
"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 added.
Last week Wangchuk voiced support for the online "cockroach" movement led by the Cockroach Janata Party, describing himself as an "honorary cockroach". He also urged the government to engage with the concerns being raised by youngsters.