Rajdeep Sardesai Column | Conspiracy Theories vs Truth in Delhi Politics

Rajdeep Sardesai Senior Journalist

Conspiracy theories have always flourished in the corridors of power in Delhi. But in today’s highly polarized India they are no longer mere gossip. They have now become political tools, used to question the legitimacy of opponents, discredit movements, and avoid facing uncomfortable questions.

The latest target is Sonam Wangchuk and the cockroach Janata Party (CJP), against the backdrop of student movements that have rocked the national capital. Instead of asking why the youth are angry over paper leaks, delays in examinations and unemployment, there is more interest being shown in questioning the intentions of those who are leading these movements.

According to a theory widely prevalent among Congress-affiliated groups, Wangchuk and the CJP are part of the government’s “deep state”, which was put forward so that the Congress could not get political credit for raising the NEET controversy. There is no concrete evidence to support this claim. Yet in an era when suspicions spread faster than facts, conspiracy theories also take hold very quickly.

Just look at the case of Sonam Wangchuk. When the movement demanding greater autonomy intensified in Ladakh, Wangchuk was detained under the NSA. He spent six months in prison and was later released, but no concrete explanation was given as to why he was imprisoned. He was described as being linked to foreign funding, anti-national and even a pro-China agent. Selected parts of his speeches were taken out of context and presented to suit a convenient narrative.

Now the irony is that some leaders are calling the same person a puppet of the IB. It is being alleged that he has been promoted to divert attention from the Congress’ campaign against the government. How can a person be first maligned as pro-China and then accused of working for the Indian dictatorship?

I have known Sonam Wangchuk for almost two decades. I first met him in 2008, when he was awarded the Real Hero award for his work in the field of education and environment. Whether a person agrees with his every thought or not is a different matter. But the foundation of democracy rests on the acceptance that disagreement with the government does not mean betrayal of the country.

The central government itself has publicly praised Wangchuk’s work on several occasions. In March 2023, Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had shared a photo on Instagram after meeting Wangchuk and his wife and praised their efforts to transform the education system. Now that Wangchuk has become one of the prominent faces demanding accountability in the NEET controversy, that praise has vanished.

On the other hand, CJP was also ignored by the government considering it a minor group limited to the internet. But it was only when students took to the streets that their existence began to be accepted. Congress had also accepted that CJP was actually a mask of AAP party, because its founder had once had connections with AAP party. Perhaps Congress is still remembering the wounds of 2011, when Anna Hazare’s movement had accelerated the process of the fall of his government.

According to a theory widely prevalent among groups associated with the Congress, Wangchuk and the CJP are part of the government’s “deep state”, which was put forward so that the Congress could not get credit for raising the NEET controversy. (These are the author’s own views)

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