4 min readNew DelhiJun 28, 2026 09:22 PM IST
Prominent activist Sonam Wangchuk, along with six members of left-wing student group All India Students’ Association (AISA) began a hunger strike at Jantar Mantar on Sunday, where the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) has been holding a protest since June 20, demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged exam irregularities.
Wangchuk had also earlier joined the CJP’s first protest held at Jantar Mantar on June 6.
Before beginning his hunger strike, Wangchuk, along with CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke, visited Rajghat and paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi.
“I have been forced to sit here, I am not doing this happily. I am sitting on a fast in support of both issues. Many people ask me, you were doing a movement in Ladakh, why are you with CJP now?” Education, which is the issue here, has been close to my heart for the last 40 years, since I was a student,” he said.
“I did engineering, but never took a job because I felt the key to all generations is in education. When some youth raise their voices on issues with the education system, how could I have remained silent? It was natural for me to support them,” Wangchuk added.
“When there is no accountability, we are forced to take the only way possible in a democracy – peaceful protest, and we will do that,” he said. He also appealed to people to make it a community hunger strike by observing at least a day-long fast.
He also pointed out that when a leader recognises their mistake, their stature does not become small or big. “They (leaders) become great,” he said. “I want to tell the government that if you are a leader of democracy, you should be kind hearted and empathetic,” he added.
Story continues below this ad
“There has to be accountability and someone should take responsibility,” he stated.
The development came days after Wangchuk posted a social media video stating that he would launch an indefinite hunger strike on June 28 at Jantar Mantar unless the government took action to address his demands for accountability in the education system and greater autonomy for Ladakh.
“One is the demands raised by the CJP (Cockroach Janta Party) regarding education and accountability. As you know, two issues are very close to my heart: education, and environment. In education, we are demanding accountability, and in Ladakh, for the protection of culture, environment, and the restoration of democracy, we are seeking the same accountability.”
In the video, Wangchuk had said that he would wait until June 27 for progress on either of the two issues. If even one demand is addressed, either reforms in the education system or restoration of democratic and cultural protections in Ladakh, he would withdraw the plan to carry out a fast. Otherwise, he said, he would join the protest at Jantar Mantar and begin an indefinite hunger strike from June 28.
Story continues below this ad
Meanwhile, the CJP protest at Jantar Mantar entered its ninth day on Sunday. This was despite the Delhi Police previously stating that the outfit only had permission to hold the protest till 5 pm on June 20.
