Sonam Wangchuk vows to continue protest until Parliament acts

Activist Sonam Wangchuk on Monday declared that his indefinite hunger strike would continue beyond the proposed Sansad Chalo march, saying he would end his fast only if the government accepted responsibility for recent failures in the education system or if political leaders assured him that the issue would be raised in Parliament.

In a handwritten note shared on social media, Wangchuk reiterated that accountability — not compromise — remained the sole objective of his protest.

"Many of you have asked when I will end my fast. As mentioned earlier to supporters, I will end my fast on 20 July... if the government takes accountability for the recent failures in the education system, paper leaks, et cetera," he wrote.

If no such assurance is forthcoming, Wangchuk said, his fast would continue despite mounting concerns over his health.

"Notwithstanding my health, my fast continues after the Sansad Chalo march and will be broken only under the following circumstances," the note read.

The activist said he would also call off the fast if the leadership of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) and he reached the gates of Parliament and Members of Parliament across party lines assured them that the issue would be taken up during the Monsoon Session.

Should his health prevent him from joining the march, Wangchuk said he expected political leaders to visit him at Safdarjung Hospital and make the same commitment there.

Wangchuk also alleged that he was being held under "illegal detention" at the hospital, claiming his freedom of movement, speech and communication had been curtailed.

"...From the illegal detention at Safdarjung Hospital, where my freedom of movement, speech and all communication are restricted," he wrote.

On Saturday, Wangchuk's wife, Gitanjali Angmo, had said he would end his fast if political leaders met him at the hospital and assured him that the issue of accountability in the education sector would be raised in Parliament. She also appealed to supporters participating in the Sansad Chalo march to maintain peace and prevent the protest from being hijacked.

Wangchuk joined Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke's indefinite hunger strike at Jantar Mantar on 28 June. The protesters have been demanding accountability over alleged irregularities in competitive examinations, including repeated paper leaks, and have sought the resignation of Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

After 21 days without food, Delhi Police shifted Wangchuk to Safdarjung Hospital in the early hours of 18 July, citing a deterioration in his health.

While supporters alleged that he was forcibly removed from the protest site and manhandled, Delhi Police maintained that the transfer was carried out solely on medical grounds.

With PTI inputs