CJP urges Sonam Wangchuk to end 25-day fast, vows to continue exam protest

The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) on Wednesday appealed to climate activist Sonam Wangchuk to end his 25-day hunger strike for his health. The outfit assured Wangchuk that the protest over competitive exam irregularities will continue until demands are met

New Delhi: The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) on Wednesday appealed to activist Sonam Wangchuk to end his hunger strike, saying his sacrifice had inspired students across the country and also assured him that the agitation over alleged examination irregularities would continue until its demands were met.

In a public letter addressed to Wangchuk, the CJP requested him to prioritise his health while pledging to carry forward the campaign for “examination justice”.

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“With great respect and gratitude, we request you to please end your fast. Your sacrifice has inspired thousands of students across the country,” the letter said.

Wangchuk has been on an indefinite hunger strike for the last 25 days in support of students demanding accountability over alleged examination irregularities.

Referring to the July 20 “Sansad Chalo” mobilisation, the CJP said students from different states had travelled to Delhi in support of the movement.

“You have shown that this fight is bigger than any one person and that students deserve justice. But right now, we need you to take care of your health,” it said.

The outfit also assured Wangchuk that the agitation would continue irrespective of his decision on the fast.

“We promise that this struggle will not end with your fast. We will continue the protests and take this fight forward until our demands for examination justice are met. We will do everything we can to keep it moving,” the letter said.

CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke echoed the appeal in a post on X.

“We request Sonam Wangchuk sir to end his hunger strike. The country needs him, and his life is far too precious to be put at further risk. The peaceful protest at Jantar Mantar will continue until our demands are met,” he said.

In a separate post, Dipke said Wangchuk’s fast had entered its 25th day and questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s silence on the issue.

“It’s Day 25 of Sonam Wangchuk’s hunger strike. The PM is yet to break his silence,” Dipke wrote.

“Politics is not just about doing election rallies and winning elections. It’s about being accountable and answerable to people,” he said, asking why the prime minister had not reached out to Wangchuk, why police had acted “so brutally” against protesting students and why Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan continued in office despite the controversy surrounding alleged examination irregularities.

Wangchuk joined the CJP-led agitation at Jantar Mantar on June 28 and began an indefinite hunger strike in support of students demanding accountability over alleged irregularities in competitive examinations, reforms in the examination system and the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

He was shifted from Safdarjung Hospital to Medanta Hospital following a Delhi High Court order and has continued his fast from there, while the sit-in protest at Jantar Mantar has continued after Monday’s police crackdown on the proposed “Sansad Chalo” march.