Sonam Wangchuk Rejects LG’s Claim, Says ‘I Am An Honorary Cockroach’
Sonam Wangchuk Rejects LG’s Claim, Says ‘I Am An Honorary Cockroach’ Published By, Last Updated: May 28, 2026, 23:38 IST Sonam Wangchuk disputes Ladakh L-G
Sonam Wangchuk Rejects LG’s Claim, Says ‘I Am An Honorary Cockroach’ Published By, Last Updated: May 28, 2026, 23:38 IST Sonam Wangchuk disputes Ladakh L-G Vinai Kumar Saxena on Cockroach Party remarks, defends his Manipur comparison and calls the L-Gs public post misleading. Ladakh L-G Vinai Kumar Saxena with climate activist Sonam Wangchuk. (Image: LG Ladakh/X) Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk on Thursday reaffirmed that he was an “honorary cockroach" while rejecting Ladakh Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena’s claim that the activist was “unsure of the origins of the Cockroach Party". The L-G on Tuesday held talks with Sonam Wangchuk and his wife Gitanjali Angmo. After the meeting, Saxena in a post on X said: “Democratic expression must not be taken as license for fabricating falsehoods and rabble rousing. He accepted that comparing the situation of Ladakh with Manipur was an error of judgement.
He also said that he was unsure of the origins of the Cockroach Party and would study the motivations of its founders and revisit his stand, if necessary." In response to the post, Wangchuk on Thursday told PTI that the meeting had been cordial and did not resemble the tone reflected in the LG’s public remarks. Speaking on the Cockroach Janata Party, 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." Wangchuk said he had merely indicated willingness to examine any evidence placed before him regarding the organisation’s origins and said that openness to reviewing information should not be interpreted as withdrawal of support." He further said that the L-G had not given any warning on his recent remarks of comparing Ladakh with Manipur and his support for the Cockroach Janata Party.
“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. “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." PTI further quoted the climate activist rejecting the LG’s claim on the Manipur comparison and said he never described the analogy as an “error of judgment." “I don’t think it is an error of my judgment. I still totally stand by it," he said, adding, he only said that the example was “avoidable" in the current context. “Avoidable is very different from an error of judgment," Wangchuk said. Previously, Wangchuk in an interview with PTI said tensions in Ladakh had recently escalated to a point where he feared the Union Territory could become “another Manipur", citing growing unrest and divisions between communities.
News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit Location: Ladakh, India, India First Published: May 28, 2026, 23:35 IST News india Sonam Wangchuk Rejects LG’s Claim, Says ‘I Am An Honorary Cockroach’ Disclaimer: Comments reflect users’ views, not News18’s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments...
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