As Sonam Wangchuk Compares Ladakh with Manipur, LG Saxena Cautions Him Against 'Provocative Narrative'
Srinagar: Days after the environmental activist and Leh Apex Body (LAB) member Sonam Wangchuk threw his weight behind the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), Ladakh’s lieutenant governor Vinai Kumar Saxena appeared to have rebuked him against “weaving a misleading and provocative narrative”.
In a post on X, Saxena said on Tuesday (May 26) that he had a meeting with Wangchuk and his wife Gitanjali Angmo during which they “agreed that an air of positivity, both in terms of development initiatives and political dialogue, needs to be maintained”.
“I cautioned Shri Wangchuk to abjure from weaving a misleading and provocative narrative, which vitiates public discourse. Democratic expression must not be taken as license for fabricating falsehoods and rabble rousing,” the LG said in a pointed rebuke.
Had a candid exchange with Shri Sonam Wangchuk and Smt. Gitanjali Angmo in the backdrop of the constructive dialogue in the Union Home Ministry. We agreed that an air of positivity, both in terms of development initiatives and political dialogue, needs to be maintained.
— LG Ladakh (@lg_ladakh) May 26, 2026
Last week, in an interview with the PTI news agency, Wangchuk said that he had feared that Ladakh would become “another Manipur” following the violence in September last year in which at least four protesters were killed in retaliatory action by security forces while dozens more were injured.
"There was conflict everywhere. It [Ladakh] was heading in that direction,” Wangchuk said, while denouncing the use of violence as a form of protest.
Saxena, who was appointed to the top constitutional authority in Ladakh in March this year, however said that Wangchuk “accepted that comparing the situation of Ladakh with Manipur was an error of judgement”.
Wangchuk had also said that he was “very impressed” by the “creative expression” of youngsters in the country, hundreds of thousands of whom have joined the CJP on its social media platforms within days after the controversial remarks of the Chief Justice of India Surya Kant.
The Ladakh-based innovator said that though he was not a CJP member, he considered himself as its “honorary member”. He said that the Union government which has blocked the CJP’s X account should draw learning from the “movement" instead of “killing the messenger”.
“Understand the message but don’t kill the messenger,” he said, “Get the feedback and push for a change. I am very impressed that instead of hitting the roads and pelting stones, our youngsters are using creative expression to vent their rage. This is what makes us Vishwa Guru (world leader). It is important for the Indian government to show respect to their concerns.”
Wangchuk said that he was concerned over the suspension of the CJP’s social media accounts, “I fear that this rage can take any form. In Nepal, there was violence when the internet was suspended and youngsters took the next step to hit the roads. The government should not adopt that path. Instead, we should address the concerns of our youngsters.”
Also read: Ladakh Groups Say In-Principle Deal Reached With Govt: Elected Legislature, CM and Path to Statehood
Saxena, however, said in his post on X on Tuesday that the LAB leader stated during the meeting 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.”
“I also highlighted that repeated rallies and protests, despite positive developments initiated by the Centre, will have a negative impact on economic activities in the tourism space, which is the backbone of Ladakh,” Saxena said.
When contacted by The Wire, Wangchuk’s office said that he had no comment to offer on Saxena’s remarks “as of now”.
Referring to the NEET exam paper leak, Wangchuk, without taking any names, said in an interview that ministers have been forced to resign in many parts of the world over such issues.
The CJP as well as the Congress and others have called for the resignation of Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan following the NEET paper leak.
“It is not a big deal [for a minister to resign]. Instead of suppressing youth, we should take a lesson from their expression,” he told PTI.
The remarks by Saxena came days after the LAB-Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) combine claimed that they have reached an “in principle understanding” with the Union government following a meeting on Friday (May 22) which will pave the way for the restoration of democracy in the border region.
In what appears to be a significant breakthrough, the LAB-KDA combine said that a “model” would be chalked out by the Union government for administering the border region under which the “legislative, executive and financial powers” would be vested with the elected representatives of Ladakh through a “Union territory (UT) level legislative body”.
“All bureaucrats of the UT including the Chief Secretary will come under the executive head of the UT level elected body (proposed to be Chief Minister),” the LAB-KDA statement said.
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