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Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke on Wednesday accused the government of being "cruel" for refusing to meet activist Sonam Wangchuk, who
has been holding up his hunger strike for 18 days, demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Wangchuk's hunger strike is part of the Cockroach Party's protest to pressure the government to sack Pradhan over the NEET-UG paper leak issue and alleged discrepancies in the education system. The Ladakhi activist is under round-the-clock medical supervision. On Wednesday, Wangchuk's hunger strike entered its 18th day, as MPs cutting across party lines visited Jantar Mantar, while the CJP's protest over alleged irregularities in the NEET examination entered its 26th day. The Cockroach Party has announced a one-day mass hunger strike on Thursday (today) ahead of its "Chalo Sansad" march on July 20.
'Very Weak': Sonam Wangchuk's Health Bulletin
According to the medical bulletin issued by the CJP, Wangchuk remains "very weak" and is under 24-hour medical vigilance. His weight has fallen to 57.15 kg, a drop of 400 grams in the last 24 hours, and 8.9 kg since he began his hunger strike.
His blood pressure was recorded at 105/76, blood sugar at 80 mg/dL, oxygen saturation at 97 percent, while hydration was described as fair. Doctors said he is conscious and mentally alert but requires continuous monitoring.
Abhijeet Dipke Targets Govt
Aiming his target at the government for allegedly ignoring Wangchuk's health, CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke said, "Day 18 of Sonam Wangchuk's hunger strike. The man who chose to put his own life on the line to seek justice for students who died by suicide has received nothing but silence from the government. The government is not just unaccountable; it is also cruel."
Govt Refusing To Engage in Dialogue
The Cockroach Janata Party founder said the questions that deserved answers were why Prime Minister Narendra Modi was refusing to engage in dialogue and why Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had still not been held accountable.
"Instead of asking why opposition leaders haven't supported CJP, or why every CJP team member isn't on a hunger strike alongside Sonam sir, ask the questions that actually matter. Why is the Prime Minister refusing to engage in a dialogue? Why is the Education Minister still not being held accountable?" he said.
Wangchuk, Dipke Get Support of Lawmakers Across Party Lines
Support for the agitation gathered momentum as the day wore on, with Bhim Army chief and Nagina MP Chandrashekhar Azad, Samajwadi Party MPs Mohibbullah Naqvi and Ajendra Singh Lodhi, Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP Dola Sen, Congress Lok Sabha MP Prashant Yadaorao Padole, and CPI Rajya Sabha MP Sandosh Kumar visiting the protest site.
According to the CJP, the MPs assured the protesters that their issues will be raised strongly in the Monsoon Session of Parliament, as well as at the all-party meeting on July 19.
Addressing the gathering, Chandrashekhar Azad extended support to the Parliament march and called upon students and youth across the country to join the movement.
Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP Dola Sen said she had come on behalf of party chief Mamata Banerjee. "I was with Mamata Banerjee when she sat on a 26-day fast in 2006. I know how difficult it is," Sen said.
Comedian Kunal Kamra also visited the protest site. CJP spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka claimed Jantar Mantar was packed with supporters and said, "A tsunami is coming. Time's running out for this government."
At a separate stage, All India Students' Association (AISA) leaders Neha, Manish, and Aameen continued their hunger strike despite worsening health.
The Left-backed organisation said a delegation comprising academics Nivedita Menon, Aditya Nigam, Anuradha Chenoy and Radha Kumar visited the students, while Samajwadi Party MP Priya Saroj, MLA Atul Pradhan and MLC Man Singh Yadav have extended support and urged people to join the Parliament march.
On Tuesday, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, and AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal appealed to Wangchuk to end his fast, while veteran actor Zeenat Aman urged the government to initiate dialogue with the activist.
Former Gujarat chief minister Shankersinh Vaghela and actor Swara Bhaskar were among those who visited the protest site on Tuesday to express solidarity with Wangchuk and the CJP protesters.
The CJP also thanked Congress MP Shashi Tharoor for his support to the agitation and appealed to supporters to change their display pictures on social media as a mark of solidarity with Wangchuk.
The organisation claimed that more than 1.3 lakh people have registered support through its missed-call campaign for the proposed Parliament march on July 20.
With inputs from PTI
