Activist Sonam Wangchuk has rejected allegations of foreign links to the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) protest movement, saying he decided to support it based on available data, conversations with its members and what he saw on the ground.
Speaking on a podcast with Prakhar Gupta, Wangchuk was questioned about allegations surrounding the movement’s funding and possible links to foreign countries.
Asked whether he was a CIA operative, Wangchuk responded jokingly: “If I am, I am yet to discover it,” adding that he would perhaps only find out “500 years” later.
On allegations concerning CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke, including questions over his educational credentials and alleged links to Pakistan, Bangladesh or the US, Wangchuk said he had not conducted an independent, detailed investigation.
Wangchuk said authorities, including the Lieutenant Governor, had claimed the movement had a large following in Bangladesh, Pakistan and the US. He said he subsequently examined follower analytics and found that 94% of the followers were from India and 6% from other countries.
“A six per cent foreign following is not a high-risk following,” Wangchuk said, adding that he also spoke to members of the movement and did not believe they were working for a foreign power.
Wangchuk said he decided to support the protesters after seeing what he described as a genuine concern over examination irregularities and their potential impact on students. He said he also offered to go on hunger strike if protesters were arrested after arriving in Delhi.
Asked whether screenshots and follower data were sufficient to establish the credibility of the people involved, Wangchuk said he remained open to further investigation, including into claims about Dipke’s educational credentials.
“In hindsight, I don't think they were paid off by anyone,” he said.
Wangchuk said his support was ultimately for the cause rather than the organisation or its individual members.
“Yes, for the cause,” he said.
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