A video interview of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk during his fast at Jantar Mantar is being falsely shared with the claim that he admitted Ladakh Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena had forced him to contact Abhijit Dipke and members of the Cockroach Janta Party.
BOOM found that Wangchuk's remarks in the interview referred to his May 2026 disagreement with Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena over the Cockroach Janta Party's (CJP) funding and origins, and made no reference to being directed to contact Abhijit Dipke or CJP members.
On June 18, dozens of Delhi Police personnel removed Wangchuk from the protest site, 20 days after he began a hunger strike in solidarity with the CJP. The group’s demands included the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and action on paper leaks.
The Claim:
In the viral video, The Indian Express's Saurabh Dwivedi asks Wangchuk whether he had any doubts about the CJP. Wangchuk’s response is being misrepresented to claim that, before joining the movement, the Ladakh Lieutenant Governor had forced him to contact Dipke and the CJP leadership.
This is being shared to allege that Wangchuk was acting at the behest of the BJP because the Lieutenant Governor is appointed by the central government.
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What We Found:
1) Interview referred to a May 2026 dispute with the Ladakh LG
We found that Wangchuk's remarks in the Indian Express interview were actually a reference to his disagreement with Ladakh Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena in May 2026.
2) Wangchuk backed CJP, called himself an "honorary cockroach"
On May 23, Wangchuk had urged the government to engage with the concerns raised by frustrated youth associated with the Cockroach Janta Party and called himself "an honorary cockroach".
3) Saxena cautioned Wangchuk against a "misleading" narrative
On May 26, Saxena posted about a meeting with Wangchuk and said he had cautioned the activist against "weaving a misleading and provocative narrative" that could vitiate public discourse. Referring to Wangchuk's remarks about the CJP, Saxena also claimed that Wangchuk had said he was unsure about the group's origins and would examine the motivations of its founders before revisiting his position, if necessary.
4) Wangchuk responded, alleged LG wanted to "impress bosses in Delhi"
On May 28, Wangchuk responded to Saxena in a video statement. He alleged that the Lieutenant Governor's remarks appeared intended to "impress bosses in Delhi". Wangchuk also said that Saxena had raised questions about the CJP's alleged foreign funding, following which Wangchuk said he would look into the group and its founders.
