New Delhi: Renowned climate activist Sonam Wangchuk on Sunday commenced an indefinite hunger strike at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, joining an ongoing demonstration organized by the Cockroach Janata Party. The political outfit has been staging a sit-in protest at the site since June 20, demanding the immediate resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged systemic irregularities and paper leaks in national competitive examinations, including the medical entrance test NEET.
Hundreds of demonstrators, predominantly comprising youth, university students, and members of various civil society groups, gathered at the protest venue as Wangchuk launched his fast. The demonstration commenced with a solemn two-minute silence to reflect on the challenges faced by student aspirants nationwide. Prior to arriving at Jantar Mantar, Wangchuk and CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke visited Rajghat to pay their respects at the memorial of Mahatma Gandhi.
While Dipke announced he would abstain from the fast due to persistent migraine-related medical issues, representatives from the All India Students’ Association stepped forward to join an indefinite solidarity hunger strike alongside Wangchuk. The CJP leadership has been actively mobilizing support from agrarian unions and youth groups to demand greater institutional transparency and restore public trust in the country’s examination infrastructure, which they argue has been severely compromised.
The agitation is drawing widespread support from rural leaders, though organizers alleged that several farmer and khap leaders from Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh were placed under house arrest by law enforcement on Sunday morning to prevent them from entering the national capital. CJP official spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka confirmed that prominent Haryana farm leader Gurnam Singh Charuni has pledged full support to the movement and is scheduled to arrive at the protest site on Monday to reinforce the ongoing agitation.
