Activist Sonam Wangchuk’s health deteriorated on the fifth day of his hunger strike at Jantar Mantar on Thursday (July 2, 2026), with his blood sugar level dropping to 60 and his blood pressure remaining low, even as the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) alleged that police assaulted students attempting to set up a library at the protest site, as the agitation received fresh backing from CPI(ML) Liberation General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya and RTI activist Nikhil Dey.
CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke said on X, Mr. Wangchuk’s condition was “continuously deteriorating” and warned that the government would be responsible if anything happened to him.
“Sonam Wangchuk’s health is continuously deteriorating. His sugar level has dropped to 60, and his blood pressure is also very low. If anything happens to Sonam sir, the government will be responsible for it,” Mr. Dipke said, reiterating the demand for Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation.
Mr. Dipke also held an interaction with protesters titled “Chai Pe Charcha with Cockroaches”, saying it was aimed at gathering feedback on “how we can make this movement better and bigger”.
‘Suspend police official’
Later in the day, Mr. Dipke claimed on X that Delhi Police personnel assaulted two youths for attempting to set up a library at the protest venue and threw away books, including those on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Bhagat Singh.
He demanded the suspension of Assistant Commissioner of Police Ajay Sharma, alleging the officer had insulted the two historical figures and questioned why the police had acted against students “who only wanted people to read books at the protest site”.
Mr. Dipke also alleged that police later asked the students for proof that they had been assaulted.
Mr. Wangchuk’s wife, Gitanjali J Angmo, also visited the protest site during the day.
Six students associated with the All India Students’ Association (AISA) continued their indefinite hunger strike from a separate stage at Jantar Mantar.
In a statement, the AISA said the condition of the fasting students had worsened, with blood sugar levels falling sharply. It stated that Danish’s blood sugar had dropped to 50 mg/dL, Deepak Kumar Verma’s to 59 mg/dL, while Manish and Aameen recorded 63 mg/dL each and Neha and Hrishikesh 68 mg/dL.
According to the organisation, most of the students were at risk of losing consciousness, but said they would continue their fast until Mr. Pradhan resigned.
‘A national issue’
Addressing the gathering, Mr. Bhattacharya said the protest had become a national issue concerning the future of India’s youth and called for wider unity against authoritarianism.
“We are not seeking resignation because we like it. We are seeking resignation because there should be some accountability,” he said.
Recalling how former Railway Ministers, including Lal Bahadur Shastri and Nitish Kumar, had resigned in the past by accepting moral responsibility, Mr. Bhattacharya said, “Now, the Railway Minister has become the reel minister.” Calling for broader solidarity, he said, “We need such solidarity today, so that those fighting for climate stand with the youth, youth stand with workers, workers stand with farmers, and we all stand together against authoritarianism.” He also alleged that the ruling dispensation treated the Constitution as a “dead document”, while “for us, it is alive”, and described Mr. Pradhan’s resignation as only a small part of a larger democratic struggle.
Mr. Dey, who also visited the protest, recalled spending several nights at Jantar Mantar during the campaign for the Right to Information (RTI) Act and the employment guarantee law, describing the venue as “a home” for people’s movements.
“Jantar Mantar is the people’s Parliament. The people are on the streets asking only one thing — hear our voice,” he said, congratulating the protesters for “bringing back the voice of this place”.
Drawing parallels with the RTI movement’s demand for accountability in public spending, Mr. Dey said the protesters were similarly seeking accountability over examination irregularities.
“They asked then, ‘Give an account of our money’. Today, you are asking, ‘Give an account of the NEET paper’,” he said.
The gathering erupted in cheers as Mr. Wangchuk appeared at the protest venue, with supporters chanting slogans expressing solidarity.
The CJP protest began on June 20 over alleged irregularities in the examination system, including NEET.
The agitation has received support from several political leaders and civil society members over the past few days, including CPI(M) General Secretary M.A. Baby, senior CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat, CPI General Secretary D. Raja, social activist Yogendra Yadav, Supreme Court lawyer Prashant Bhushan, CPI leader Annie Raja, transparency activist Anjali Bhardwaj and TMC MP Sagarika Ghose.
Published – July 02, 2026 07:14 pm IST
