Activist Sonam Wangchuk ended his 26-day hunger strike [1] late Thursday night following a government meeting and a second round of talks.
The conclusion of the fast marks a critical juncture in the Cockroach Janta Party's (CJP) campaign against alleged government misconduct. The party is seeking resolutions regarding policy grievances and the NEET paper leak.
Following the meeting, members of the CJP held a press conference at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. The discussions involved Union Ministers JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh, and Wangchuk's wife, Gitanjali Angmo [1].
Wangchuk was subsequently hospitalized at Medanta Hospital in Gurugram for medical care [1, 2]. The protests surrounding the negotiations saw significant mobilization, with police reporting that 8,000 people gathered near Jantar Mantar [3]. During the unrest, authorities detained 70 protesters [3].
Abhijeet Dipke, representing the CJP, criticized the current state of governance during the proceedings. "They've made it like North Korea," Dipke said [3].
The CJP has utilized the hunger strike and the march toward Parliament to draw attention to systemic failures in examination security and regional policy. While the fast has ended, the party continues to demand accountability for the NEET paper leak and other administrative grievances [1, 3].
“"They've made it like North Korea"”
The end of Wangchuk's fast suggests a temporary shift from extreme personal protest to negotiated dialogue. However, the scale of the gathering and the detention of dozens of protesters indicate deep-seated friction between the CJP and the central government over transparency and administrative integrity.
