CJP to demand PM Modi's resignation as Opposition condemns Wangchuk eviction

The Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) on Saturday, 18 July escalated its confrontation with the Centre by announcing it would demand Prime Minister Narendra Modi's resignation after activist Sonam Wangchuk was shifted to hospital on the 21st day of his indefinite hunger strike.

"Now we will demand Narendra Modi's resignation," CJP chief Abhijit Dipke said, shortly after Wangchuk was taken from the CJP's Jantar Mantar protest site to Delhi's Safdarjung Hospital following a deterioration in his health.

The demand came amid a wave of political condemnation from Opposition parties, with leaders accusing the Centre of suppressing a peaceful protest instead of responding to students' concerns over alleged irregularities in this year's NEET-UG examination and the reported deaths of students linked to the controversy, as well the resignation of Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan. A march to Parliament scheduled for Monday, 20 July will ho ahead as planned, as per the CJP.

NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar described the Centre's handling of the agitation as "irresponsible", saying the government had remained a "bystander" even as Wangchuk's health deteriorated.

"The Centre didn't handle the situation carefully, and it impacted the future of several students. The government remained a bystander as other political parties came to support him (Wangchuk). Leaders from Congress, NCP (SP), including Supriya Sule and many others, paid a visit there (Jantar Mantar) and raised a common demand," Pawar told reporters in Maharashtra's Baramati.

He said the protesters' demands were genuine and aimed at safeguarding students' interests, but no Union minister had visited the protest site despite being in Delhi. "It means that the government is irresponsible. This issue will not end here. As the Parliament session is scheduled to begin, it will be discussed there too," Pawar said, adding that Wangchuk's hospitalisation would not bring the movement to an end.

AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh also launched a sharp attack on the Centre, alleging that PM Modi had changed the Delhi Police commissioner to facilitate action against Wangchuk ahead of Parliament's monsoon session.

"The prime minister changed the Delhi Police commissioner just to arrest Sonam Wangchuk. Parliament is beginning, and he did not want this protest to continue. This is dictatorship. The government has no answers to the questions being raised by students and is instead trying to silence their voices," Singh said.

The Delhi Police, however, maintained that Wangchuk was shifted to Safdarjung Hospital solely on expert medical advice and in compliance with directions issued by the Delhi High Court, which has been monitoring his health.

Deputy commissioner of police (New Delhi) Sachin Sharma said Wangchuk's condition had worsened and that he was receiving the required medical intervention under supervision. Hospital sources said the activist was weak due to prolonged fasting and dehydration but remained stable while undergoing continuous observation and treatment.

Support for Wangchuk also came from overseas, with activists from US-based organisations Hindus for Human Rights and the Azadi Project staging a demonstration outside the Indian embassy in Washington on Friday evening.

Holding placards in support of Wangchuk, the protesters raised slogans against the Indian government and demanded the resignation of Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

In an open letter to PM Modi, Hindus for Human Rights urged the government to engage with the protesters and address their concerns. "The government must meet with the protesters, provide a substantive response to the examination and governance failures they have identified, and establish a credible, time-bound process for accountability," the organisation said.

"The government must meet the protesters now, answer the failures that brought them here, and act before indifference takes a life," Sunita Viswanath, executive director of Hindus for Human Rights, said in a statement.

The organisation also appealed to Wangchuk and the fasting students to prioritise their health. "Their concerns have been heard by people across India and around the world. They should not be required to sacrifice their health to demonstrate the seriousness of their demands," it said.

Wangchuk and three activists from the All India Students' Association (AISA) have been on an indefinite hunger strike since 28 June in support of the CJP-led protest demanding Pradhan's resignation over alleged and repeated examination irregularities.

Doctors said on Friday that Wangchuk had lost nearly 9.5 kg since beginning the fast. Despite his deteriorating health, the activist had said he remained determined to continue the protest until the government addressed the students' demands.

With agency inputs