Cannot forget his sacrifice: Abhijeet Dipke junks CJP-Sonam Wangchuk divide buzz

Published 31 July 2026 · india

Abhijeet Dipke, founder of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), rejected speculation of a rift with activist Sonam Wangchuk, saying the movement could never forget Wangchuk's

Abhijeet Dipke, founder of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), rejected speculation of a rift with activist Sonam Wangchuk, saying the movement could never forget Wangchuk's sacrifice and insisting both remained "pretty much on the same page." He made the remarks during an interview with India Today after the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan as Union education minister following the student-led protest movement. Read Full Story Responding to a question on whether there was now a divide between the CJP and Wangchuk because he did not mention him while concluding the movement, Dipke dismissed the suggestion. "No, sir. We are still pretty much on the same page. I spoke to him on the call," Dipke said. He explained that he had thanked the students because, after July 20, the movement belonged to the youth of the country, who faced police action during the protests. At the same time, he stressed that Wangchuk's contribution remained central to the campaign. "But we cannot forget the sacrifice that Sonam Wangchuk sir has made. He risked his life. For 26 days, he was on hunger strike. By risking his own life, he has awakened the nation. By risking his own life, he has brought this nation on the streets to question the government. And without his hunger strike, the resignation of the education minister wouldn't have been possible," Dipke said.

Dipke added that he had personally urged Wangchuk to end his hunger strike and said he felt relieved when the activist finally did so. "I was personally requesting him to end his hunger strike. I was telling him, 'Sir, you please end your hunger strike. We will continue our protest.' I was very relieved the day he ended his hunger strike," he said. When asked whether he was disappointed that Wangchuk ended his fast in the presence of BJP leaders JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh, Dipke said he was not upset with Wangchuk. "No, sir. I was not disappointed by that. I was disappointed by the fact that the BJP leaders, Mr JP Nadda and Jitender Singh, were allowed to meet him while I was not. I wanted to meet him. I was not allowed to meet him. Opposition MPs were trying to meet him. They were not allowed to meet him. But how come JP Nadda and Jitender Singh were allowed to meet him?" he said. Dipke alleged that Wangchuk had been "kidnapped in a way by the government" because neither he nor Opposition leaders nor members of the CJP were permitted to meet him. He said he was nevertheless glad that Wangchuk ended his fast, adding that "his life is far too valuable for this country's future." Dipke also outlined the future direction of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), saying it would not transform into a political party despite its growing prominence.