Cockroach Janta Party founder starts indefinite fast after Wangchuk hospitalization

Abhijeet Dipke began an indefinite fast in New Delhi after Sonam Wangchuk was taken to hospital following 20 days without food, escalating a protest that has moved from satire to a national political challenge. Dipke, the founder of the Cockroach Janta Party, stepped in at Jantar Mantar as supporters tried to keep the pressure on the government over alleged examination irregularities and NEET-UG 2026 paper leaks.

Wangchuk started his hunger strike at Jantar Mantar on June 28 in solidarity with the Cockroach Janta Party, or CJP, and called for Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan to resign. His health deteriorated steadily as the fast continued. By day 16, he had lost 8.2 kilograms, and by day 19 the loss had reached 9.1 kilograms, with doctors monitoring his vital signs as his condition worsened. He was taken to hospital on July 15 after 20 days on the strike.

The hospital transfer sharpened the optics around how India handles nonviolent dissent. A court also asked authorities to intervene if Wangchuk’s condition worsened, putting legal and public pressure on officials as the protest entered a more volatile phase. Supporters saw the hospitalization as a signal that the state was willing to remove a fasting activist rather than absorb the political cost of his demands.

The protest has drawn in larger opposition backing as it spread beyond the original CJP circle. Congress leader K.C. Venugopal said the party would continue to “confront the Modi government and demand the Education Minister’s resignation.” The issue now reaches beyond one activist’s health to the credibility of exam administration and the political fallout from the paper leak allegations that triggered the fast.

Jantar Mantar, the 18th-century astronomical observatory in New Delhi, has long served as one of India’s most visible protest stages, and the CJP’s use of it underlines how quickly the movement has expanded. What began as an online satire and viral youth campaign has become a street demonstration with national attention, as Dipke’s fast keeps the demands alive even after Wangchuk’s hospitalization.