Sonam Wangchuk says CJP organisers may have political ambitions, but that’s acceptable if platform remains non-party. NEW DELHI: Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk has said Abhijit Dipke and his fellow organisers of the Cockroach Janta Party movement appear to have political ambitions, but there is nothing objectionable in this as long as the student platform retains its non-party character.Wangchuk, in a Prakhar Gupta Xperience podcast, said Dipke and the others had not disclosed any plans to him and his view was based on his own assessment. “Political ambition is very normal,” he said. “Past political connections I don’t care about, present and future political aspirations are not a problem.”“They are not such saints that they want absolutely nothing and are doing all this entirely selflessly,” he said, referring to the possibility that the organisers had personal or political aspirations.Assessing their suitability for leadership, Wangchuk described the organisers as “well meaning”, “quite skilled” and “above average”.“Well meaning but unskilled” could create difficulties, while “very skilled but ill meaning” would pose a much greater danger, he said.Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelinesAsked whether they could become corrupt, Wangchuk said he had seen no such indications. “People go through changes, and I hope they won’t,” he said.Wangchuk said the organisers could join an existing party or launch a new one later, but must not turn the CJP platform into their political vehicle. He said he had advised them to preserve it as a “neutral, apolitical pressure group”, arguing that this would help retain the trust of supporters who saw it as a students’ movement rather than an organisation aligned with BJP, Congress or AAP.Wangchuk acknowledged that his own standards sometimes led him to expect public figures to have no political ambition. That, he said, could be unrealistic because the organisers were ordinary people entitled to pursue political careers. Beginning such a career by championing an education-related cause could, in fact, be positive.He also expressed hope that participation in the movement would help them emerge as more mature and grounded politicians. “I am actually happy about that,” Wangchuk said of their taking up public issues.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideos‘Oldest Trick In RSS Playbook’: Owaisi Slams Mohan Bhagwat’s Hindu-Muslim Unity Call In New YorkWho Is Divya Mittal? IAS Officer’s Resignation After 13 Years Sparks Online DebateIndia, Uzbekistan Ink Long-Term Uranium Deal: How The Pact Boosts Delhi’s Nuclear Ambitions7 Weeks Pregnant When She Died: Punjabi Influencer Manjeet Kaur’s Death Case Turns Murkier’Do You Feel You Are A Lord?’: Bombay High Court Raps Tukaram Mundhe-Led FDA Over MCA Order‘If Any Hindu Thinks…’: Opposition, Muslim Boards Respond To RSS Chief Bhagwat’s New York RemarksBJP Reprimands Three Delhi MPs Over Visit To Sajjan Kumar’s Home After His DeathKolkata Police Files Case Against Mamata Banerjee Over Rally, TMC Hits Back At BJP Govt | WatchRahul Gandhi Slams BJP-RSS Over Kharge ‘Shuddhikaran’, Demands Action Under SC/ST ActPakistani Drones Spotted Along LoC: Indian Army Intensifies Surveillance In J&K | Watch123PhotostoriesStunning Moroccan royal tiaras that make European crowns look almost ordinaryBigg Boss Malayalam Agnipareeksha: Meet the 12 commoners battling for a spot in the house10 baby boy names starting with the letter AYour gut bacteria need food too: 10 everyday foods that can help nourish the gut microbiome and improve gut healthExclusive – Khatron Ke Khiladi 15: Karan Wahi on doing the stunt-based show for the third time, bond with Avinash-Rithvik and performing stunts handpicked based on their fearsOptical illusion personality test: What you see first reveals how you approach difficult situations in lifeKajal to kumkum: Traditional Indian beauty products that became cultural symbolsParkinson’s isn’t always obvious: The changes in your walk, handwriting, face and voice that may be warning signsAnumol’s Dreamy Wedding Looks You Can’t MissKidney stones can build up silently: These common foods may increase your risk, especially if eaten too often123Hot PicksNepal floodUGC NET June 2026 resultCNG Price HikeMumbai milk priceRRB NTPC UG CBT 2 examAnkit Baliyan murderSridhar VembuDelhi murderInflation dataTop TrendingManjeet KaurKim KardashianMaya Higa FianceTravis KelceBrittany MahomesTravis Kelce BusinessKai CenatCoco GauffsNaomi OsakaLebron James
NEW DELHI: Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk has said Abhijit Dipke and his fellow organisers of the Cockroach Janta Party movement appear to have political ambitions, but there is nothing objectionable in this as long as the student platform retains its non-party character.Wangchuk, in a Prakhar Gupta Xperience podcast, said Dipke and the others had not disclosed any plans to him and his view was based on his own assessment. “Political ambition is very normal,” he said. “Past political connections I don’t care about, present and future political aspirations are not a problem.”“They are not such saints that they want absolutely nothing and are doing all this entirely selflessly,” he said, referring to the possibility that the organisers had personal or political aspirations.Assessing their suitability for leadership, Wangchuk described the organisers as “well meaning”, “quite skilled” and “above average”.“Well meaning but unskilled” could create difficulties, while “very skilled but ill meaning” would pose a much greater danger, he said.
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Asked whether they could become corrupt, Wangchuk said he had seen no such indications. “People go through changes, and I hope they won’t,” he said.Wangchuk said the organisers could join an existing party or launch a new one later, but must not turn the CJP platform into their political vehicle. He said he had advised them to preserve it as a “neutral, apolitical pressure group”, arguing that this would help retain the trust of supporters who saw it as a students’ movement rather than an organisation aligned with BJP, Congress or AAP.Wangchuk acknowledged that his own standards sometimes led him to expect public figures to have no political ambition. That, he said, could be unrealistic because the organisers were ordinary people entitled to pursue political careers. Beginning such a career by championing an education-related cause could, in fact, be positive.He also expressed hope that participation in the movement would help them emerge as more mature and grounded politicians. “I am actually happy about that,” Wangchuk said of their taking up public issues.
