Fasting Wangchuk's health worsens; 'why Pradhan not sacked yet,' Dipke asks

Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk entered the seventh day of his hunger strike at Jantar Mantar on Saturday, with organisers claiming he has lost five kilograms and warning that his health is deteriorating rapidly, as the Centre continued to resist mounting demands for Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's dismissal over alleged examination irregularities — a demand the government increasingly appears to have turned into a prestige issue.

The protest, organised by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), has centred on allegations of irregularities in several competitive examinations, including NEET-UG 2026, with organisers insisting that Wangchuk will not end his fast until action is taken against Pradhan.

CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke said on X that Wangchuk's condition was worsening with each passing day. "Sonam Sir has lost 5 kg, and his health is deteriorating with each passing day. How much longer will the Prime Minister wait before sacking Dharmendra Pradhan?" Dipke wrote. "Why is Dharmendra Pradhan so important to PM Modi that, despite the deaths of 20 students, he still refuses to remove him?" he asked.

In another post, Dipke said the government would be responsible if anything happened to the activist. "If the government doesn't act fast and take action against Pradhan, it will be responsible if anything happens to Sonam Sir. Despite his rapidly deteriorating health, he has made it clear that he will not end his hunger strike until action is taken," he said.

Dipke also shared a satirical cartoon showing a man attempting to eat papers labelled 'Exam Paper' while being restrained by two cockroaches, with the caption: 'Go back Dharmendra Pradhan.'

In a post on X late on Friday, Wangchuk welcomed progress in talks between the Centre and representatives from Ladakh over the region's long-pending demands, but urged the government to show similar urgency in addressing concerns over the education system. "Thank you government for steps taken today to resolve the Ladakh issue, now please pay attention to accountability in education," he wrote.

His remarks came after representatives of the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) said they had resolved differences with the Ministry of Home Affairs over the minutes of an earlier meeting, clearing the way for the next round of formal talks on Ladakh's proposed governance framework.

Leaders of the two bodies also credited Wangchuk's fast with breaking the stalemate in negotiations with the Centre.

Meanwhile, six students affiliated with the All India Students' Association (AISA) continued their parallel hunger strike at a separate stage at Jantar Mantar.

The students' protest entered its 15th day on Saturday and has drawn support from several Opposition leaders and civil society activists, including CPI(M) general-secretary M.A. Baby, CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat, CPI general-secretary D. Raja, CPI(ML) Liberation general-secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya, social activist Yogendra Yadav, Supreme Court lawyer Prashant Bhushan, CPI leader Annie Raja, transparency activist Anjali Bhardwaj, RTI activist Nikhil Dey, and TMC MPs Sagarika Ghose and Mahua Moitra.

The CJP launched its protest on 20 June over alleged irregularities in multiple competitive examinations, including NEET, the country's premier medical entrance test.

With PTI inputs