Following ‘successful’ round of talks with MHA officials last week, climate activist Sonam Wangchuk and his wife, Gitanjali Angmo, met with Ladakh Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena at Lok Niwas, Leh. LG Saxena cautioned him against spreading a "misleading narrative" and comparing the Union Territory to the violence-hit Manipur.
The LG urged Wangchuk to maintain a positive environment amid recent talks with the Union Home Ministry and cautioned him against "misleading and provocative" rhetoric, specifically regarding his comments on the Cockroach Party.
During the meeting LG Saxena also warned that repeated rallies and protests, along with "rabble-rousing" and "provocative" narratives, could negatively impact Ladakh's tourism-driven economy and vitiate public discourse.
As the LG's office stated that Wangchuk was unsure of the Cockroach Party's origins, indicating he would study its founders' motives and revisit his support for it if necessary.Wangchuk reportedly appreciated recent developmental initiatives in the region, such as the Him Sarovar project, canal restorations (Igoo Phey and Mahe-Topko), and massive plantation drives.
Pertinently, the meeting took place following a constructive dialogue with the Union Home Ministry, where the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) reached a broad in-principle understanding with the Centre on tailored legislative powers and constitutional safeguards under Article 371.
LG VK Saxena met with Sonam Wangchuk and Gitanjali Angmo following a round of talks between Ladakh's umbrella civil and political bodies, Leh Apex Body and Kargil Democratic Alliance, and the Union Home Ministry.
VK Saxena stated that Wangchuk agreed to revisit his stand on the Cockroach Janata Party movement. Saxena posted on X, "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. 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. 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," he added.
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