New Delhi: The agitation led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) took a dramatic turn on Saturday after party chief Abhijeet Dipke announced an indefinite hunger strike, hours after activist Sonam Wangchuk was shifted to Safdarjung Hospital as his health deteriorated during an extended fast.
Dipke accused the Delhi Police of removing Wangchuk from the protest site against his wishes and said the movement would not lose momentum. Calling Wangchuk’s hospitalisation a setback but not the end of the campaign, he vowed to continue fasting until the group’s demands are addressed.
The development came after Wangchuk, who had been on a hunger strike for nearly three weeks, was taken from Delhi’s Jantar Mantar to Safdarjung Hospital under heavy police presence. Authorities said the decision was made following medical advice and in accordance with directions issued by the Delhi High Court, citing growing concerns over the activist’s health.
Soon after Wangchuk was admitted to the hospital, hundreds of supporters gathered at the protest site, raising slogans and expressing anger over the police action. Several CJP leaders alleged that protesters were manhandled during the operation and claimed Dipke himself was roughed up while trying to resist the move. Police have denied any wrongdoing, maintaining that their priority was to ensure Wangchuk received urgent medical care.
Doctors at Safdarjung Hospital later said Wangchuk was weak but stable and would remain under close observation. Medical experts had reportedly warned that continuing the fast could lead to serious health complications after he spent more than 20 days without food.
Wangchuk began his hunger strike on June 28 in support of CJP’s campaign demanding accountability over alleged irregularities in competitive examinations, stronger safeguards against paper leaks and wider reforms in India’s examination system. The party has also been seeking the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the issue.
What began as a student focused protest has gradually drawn support from activists, civil society groups and political leaders, turning Jantar Mantar into the centre of a larger debate on transparency and credibility in the country’s examination process.
With Wangchuk now undergoing treatment, Dipke’s decision to begin an indefinite fast marks the next phase of the agitation. CJP leaders say the protest will continue until the government responds to their demands, signalling that the movement is far from over.
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