Indian activist Wangchuk urged to end hunger strike over exam paper leaks

Sonam Wangchuk ​has been fasting in New Delhi since June 28 in solidarity with the Cockroach Janta Party to demand the education minister’s resignation.A prominent Indian activist demanding the federal education minister’s resignation over exam paper leaks has entered the 17th day of a ⁠hunger strike as his condition worsens, prompting opposition leaders to urge him to call off the fast.Sonam Wangchuk has been fasting at a protest site in central New Delhi since June 28.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4India’s ‘Cockroach’ movement camps out until education minister resignslist 2 of 4‘My voice is being heard’: A month of India’s Cockroach Janta Partylist 3 of 4Telegram challenges India app ban, calls move unconstitutionallist 4 of 4Modi is using a cannon to kill a cockroachend of listThe fast is in solidarity with the founder of India’s Gen Z-led Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), who is staging a ⁠sit-in demanding Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan step down over the leaks in May that affected millions of students.The protest being held at the Indian capital’s Jantar Mantar observatory near parliament, is a rare show of defiance against Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 12-year rule.The CJP, founded by 30-year-old Abhijeet Dipke, has caught the imagination of young Indians on Instagram, gaining 22 million followers within a few days of being set up in May.Wangchuk, 59, lying on a ‌white mattress on a stage in front of a handful of people, told the Reuters news agency that he was too weak to talk. He said earlier his fast could last six weeks unless he died first.In a picture posted on X where Wangchuk can be seen surrounded by medics, CJP said he had lost 8.5kg (19lbs) of weight as of Tuesday and his “health continues to deteriorate”.“We have been trying to convince Sonam sir to withdraw his hunger strike, but he is adamant to continue it,” Dipke said between talking to onlookers and YouTubers.“Sonam sir is ⁠asking us to keep preparing for the march to parliament on 20th July. I feel the ⁠government wants Sonam sir and other people on hunger strike to die.”Sonam Wangchuk on a hunger strike to demand the resignation of Indian Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, India, July 14, 2026 [Bhawika Chhabra/Reuters]A young person who was also on a hunger strike at the protest site fainted on Monday and was taken to hospital.