Abhijeet Dipke, the founding president of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), ended his hunger strike at Delhi's Jantar Mantar on June 30, 2026 [1].
The protest highlighted grievances regarding government apathy toward student deaths and sought to pressure the administration into systemic accountability. This action follows a period of escalating tension and clashes at the protest site [1].
Dipke's fast lasted 10 days [2]. The decision to break the strike came after the CJP leader held discussions with Union Health Minister JP Nadda [1]. Following these talks, Dipke intended to lead a march to Parliament to continue the push for government action [1].
During the protest, Dipke criticized the current state of governance in India. "They've made it like North Korea," Dipke said [3]. He said that the administration "didn't let it become like Nepal, Bangladesh" [3].
Earlier, on June 29, Dipke addressed the motivations behind the demonstration. "The Centre's apathy towards student deaths is unacceptable," Dipke said [2].
The CJP protest occurred alongside other demonstrations at Jantar Mantar. Sonam Wangchuk had also been conducting an indefinite hunger strike, which had lasted over 20 days at the time of reporting [4].
The conclusion of the strike follows reports of clashes and allegations that internet services had been snapped in the area to disrupt the gathering [4].
“"The Centre's apathy towards student deaths is unacceptable"”
The conclusion of the hunger strike suggests a shift from symbolic protest to direct negotiation with the health ministry. By leveraging a high-profile fast at Jantar Mantar, the Cockroach Janta Party successfully forced a dialogue with Union Health Minister JP Nadda, though the move toward a parliamentary march indicates that the party's demands for accountability regarding student deaths remain unresolved.
