CJP Leadership Was Ready to End Protest, Reveals Sonam Wangchuk

Activist Sonam Wangchuk has said that leaders of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) were considering ending their protest after a police crackdown at Jantar Mantar on July 20. He said the action, during which the protest stage was dismantled and several protesters left the site, left the leadership deeply demoralised. Wangchuk made the remarks while speaking on the PGX podcast, where he discussed the developments surrounding the protest and the mood among its organisers.

According to Wangchuk, the situation became particularly difficult for the CJP leadership following the police action at the protest site. He said the leaders felt that the movement had reached a point where continuing the demonstration appeared increasingly difficult. The departure of many protesters after the crackdown further contributed to the sense of uncertainty among those who remained associated with the movement.

Wangchuk said the CJP leadership subsequently approached him for assistance in preparing a message for the protesters. The proposed message was intended to encourage those still at Jantar Mantar to leave the site and return home. His account suggests that the leadership was struggling to maintain morale after the police intervention and was looking for a way to bring the protest to an end.

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The activist described the mood among the leaders in stark terms, indicating that they believed the movement had lost much of its momentum after the crackdown. The dismantling of the stage and the departure of protesters had significantly changed the situation at Jantar Mantar. The leadership's reported decision to consider ending the demonstration reflected the difficulties it faced in sustaining participation following the police action.

Wangchuk's comments provide an account of the internal discussions that followed the July 20 incident. His involvement was sought at a time when the leadership was reportedly uncertain about how to communicate with protesters and what course the movement should take. The remarks also indicate the extent to which the police action affected the organisers' confidence and their assessment of the protest's future.

The account comes amid continued attention on the CJP's protest and the events surrounding the crackdown at Jantar Mantar. Wangchuk's disclosure sheds light on the difficulties faced by the leadership immediately after the action and the possibility that the demonstration could have ended at that stage. His remarks also highlight how the loss of protesters and disruption of the protest infrastructure affected the movement's ability to continue.

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