The CJP has been at Jantar Mantar since June 20. Eight days. On Sunday, Sonam Wangchuk arrived and began an indefinite hunger strike. He will not stop until Pradhan resigns.
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Sonam Wangchuk walked into Jantar Mantar on Sunday morning and sat down to fast. The climate activist has begun an indefinite hunger strike in support of the Cockroach Janata Party’s ongoing protest demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
Before arriving at the protest site, Wangchuk and CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke visited Rajghat to pay tribute to Mahatma Gandhi. The fast began with a two-minute silence. Hundreds of students, young people, and farmer leaders were present as Wangchuk commenced his strike.
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The CJP has been staging a sit-in at Jantar Mantar since June 20. The central demand is Pradhan’s resignation over alleged irregularities in competitive examinations, with the NEET-UG controversy at the core of the protest.
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Dipke had announced on Friday that Wangchuk would join the agitation on Sunday as part of a nationwide “Pradhan Go Back” campaign. He had appealed to students, parents, teachers, farmer unions, and civil society groups to gather at the site.
“It has been a week, and Dharmendra Pradhan has not taken any responsibility for the paper leaks,” Dipke said. “Pradhan should resign because the blood of those students is on his hands. Prime Minister Modi should ensure that Pradhan steps down, otherwise he would be considered directly responsible for the deaths of students.”
On Sunday morning, Dipke posted on X alleging that several farmer leaders from Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Punjab had been placed under house arrest to prevent them from reaching Jantar Mantar. No official response to this allegation has been reported.
Despite this, farmer leaders were present at the protest site when Wangchuk began his fast.
Beyond Pradhan’s resignation, Dipke has made additional demands. He has called for compensation of Rs 1 crore each for the families of students who allegedly died by suicide in connection with the examination controversy.
He has also accused police of failing to act against individuals who allegedly attacked volunteers associated with the protest. No official response to these specific allegations has been reported.
The protest is rooted in the controversy surrounding the NEET-UG examination. A paper leak led the National Testing Agency to cancel the original examination, which had been held on May 3. A nationwide re-examination was subsequently conducted on June 21 under heightened security arrangements.
The NTA’s handling of the situation has been the subject of sustained criticism from students, parents, and opposition politicians. The CJP’s protest at Jantar Mantar began on June 20, one day before the re-examination took place.
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