Activist Sonam Wangchuk on Monday announced that he would continue his indefinite hunger strike until student leaders protesting the alleged NEET-UG paper leak are allowed to meet Members of Parliament or MPs visit him at the hospital where he is undergoing treatment.
Currently admitted to Delhi’s Safdarjung Hospital after his health deteriorated during the protest, Wangchuk made the announcement through a handwritten statement shared by his wife, Gitanjali Angmo. The activist is on the 23rd day of his fast.
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In the note, Wangchuk said he was deeply disturbed by the treatment meted out to students protesting peacefully under the banner of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), a satirical political outfit spearheading demonstrations demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the alleged examination irregularities.
“I will continue my fast (Day 23). Seeing the brutality with which peacefully protesting youth are being dealt with, I have decided to continue my fast until the youth leaders are allowed to meet the Parliamentarians at the Sansad Bhawan, or I am allowed to meet them here at the hospital,” Wangchuk wrote.
The statement comes a day after he had indicated his willingness to end the fast if certain conditions were met. However, following the police action against protesters at Jantar Mantar and the continued restrictions on student leaders, Wangchuk has decided to extend his agitation.
The ongoing protest has become a focal point of the agitation over the alleged NEET-UG paper leak, with demonstrators demanding accountability and action against those responsible. Wangchuk’s decision to continue fasting is expected to keep the spotlight on the issue as Parliament’s Monsoon Session gets underway and political attention remains fixed on the student-led movement.
