Congress MP Prashant Padole visits Sonam Wangchuk, backs Cockroach Janta Party protest

Congress MP Prashant Padole visited Jantar Mantar to support activist Sonam Wangchuk’s indefinite hunger strike. Padole backed the Cockroach Janta Party's demands for the Education Minister’s resignation over NEET exam leaks and joined their July 20 Parliament march

New Delhi: Congress MP Prashant Padole visited Jantar Mantar on Wednesday to meet the social activist Sonam Wangchuk and extended support for the Cockroach Janata Party’s protest, demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

Padole also pledged to participate in the march to Parliament scheduled for July 20. He claimed that the dreams of the country’s youth remain unfulfilled due to government corruption.

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The visit came as Wangchuk completed the 18th day of his indefinite hunger strike and, notably, despite the Congress party keeping its distance from the protest so far.

The Lok Sabha member from Maharashtra’s Bhandara-Gondia constituency said, “The dreams the children had are not being realised because of government corruption. Question papers have been leaked 70 times in the last 10 years.”

Addressing the youth involved in the movement, he said, “I thank you for fighting for the rights of students. I support you wholeheartedly.”

The Congress MP said he would be present wherever his support was needed.

Wishing Wangchuk good health, Padole said, “Sonam ji is a gem of the nation; may he always remain healthy.”

Demanding the resignation of Pradhan, he said that if the minister possessed integrity, he would have stepped down from his post.

“Congress leaders have resigned over even minor issues in the past. Is power more important to this government than people’s lives?” Padole asked.

The Cockroach Janta Party has been holding a protest at Jantar Mantar demanding Pradhan’s resignation over alleged irregularities in the NEET examination. Wangchuk joined the agitation on June 28 and has been on an indefinite fast since then. The organisation has also announced a march to Parliament on July 20.