Prominent education reformist Sonam Wangchuk, currently admitted to Safdarjung Hospital, has declared he will continue his hunger strike until two specific conditions are met. His statement, issued on Monday, July 20, 2026, notably does not include the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, a key demand consistently raised by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) in their ongoing agitation.
Wangchuk's Conditions for Ending Fast
Wangchuk, who has been at Safdarjung Hospital since July 18 after being moved there by Delhi Police, specified his terms in a handwritten note. He stated he would maintain his protest until either student leaders are permitted to meet Members of Parliament at Sansad Bhawan, or he himself is allowed to meet the student representatives at the hospital.
His decision to continue the fast stems from what he described as the "brutality" witnessed against peaceful student protesters. "Seeing the brutality with which peacefully protesting youth are being dealt with, I have decided to continue my fast until the youth leaders are allowed to meet the Parliamentarians at the Sansad Bhawan or I am allowed to meet them here at the hospital," Wangchuk wrote. He also expressed hope that the government would "fix accountability of the administrators before that" and appealed for students to be allowed to present their grievances to Parliament.
CJP Reiterates Demands, Government Initiates Dialogue
Meanwhile, the CJP, which has been protesting alleged irregularities in competitive examinations, has maintained its strong stance. Union Health Minister JP Nadda held discussions with two CJP representatives, Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das, on Monday. This marks the first direct contact between the central government and the agitating CJP.
During their meeting at Minister Nadda's residence, the CJP delegation submitted a memorandum detailing their core demands. These include the immediate release of Sonam Wangchuk without restrictions, the sacking of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged examination irregularities (such as the NEET 2026 paper leak, CBSE Class XII portal issues, and CUET delays), and a compensation of ₹1 crore to the families of students who reportedly died by suicide following the NEET paper leak.
Minister Nadda confirmed the discussions, describing them as cordial, and stated that an initial verbal discussion was followed by the submission of a written petition. He urged all protesters to end their sit-in to help restore normalcy. However, CJP spokesperson Saurav Das later posted on X (formerly Twitter) that while the minister assured discussions at appropriate levels, no firm commitments were made, and the "peaceful protesters will not rest until the demand is met."
Official sources indicate that internal government discussions regarding the CJP protest are ongoing.