Activist Sonam Wangchuk is ready to end his indefinite hunger strike on Monday if political leaders meet him and assure him that accountability of the education system will be raised during Parliament’s monsoon session, his wife Gitanjali J. Angmo said tonight.
Addressing protesters at Jantar Mantar, where the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) is leading protests over the alleged leak of NEET papers and demanding education reforms, Gitanjali J Angmu said Sonam Wangchuk had informed him that he would end his hunger strike if political parties assured him that the issue would be raised.
“If political leaders meet Sonam at the hospital and assure him that they will raise the issue of accountability for education during the monsoon, he will end his hunger strike tomorrow,” Angmu said.
She also conveyed Wangchuk’s message to her supporters ahead of the CJP’s proposed “Chalo Sansad” rally on July 20, urging them to keep the protest peaceful.
She added: “Sonam asked all of us to march tomorrow peacefully and ensure that the protest is not misused.”
Angmo confirmed that Wangchuk’s health remained stable. “Sonam’s health is fine. I tried my best in the Supreme Court to shift him to a private hospital, but I was unable to succeed,” she said.
Wangchuk was taken to Safdarjung Hospital by Delhi Police on July 18 after spending three weeks on a hunger strike at the CJP protest site in Jantar Mantar. Angmo and CJP claimed that the activist continued to fast in hospital and refused intravenous fluids.
The CJP and Wangchuk are demanding accountability in the alleged NEET paper leak case, action against officials and broader reforms in the education system.
The proposed march to Parliament on Monday coincides with the opening day of the monsoon session, which is scheduled to last until August 13. These protests have attracted support from several opposition leaders and student organizations in recent weeks, while the Delhi High Court has been monitoring Wangchuk’s health through regular status reports.
Meanwhile, the Delhi Police announced that no permission had been given to Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP) for a proposed march to Parliament on July 20.
Prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) Act, which replaces the earlier Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, are effectively implemented across the New Delhi district to prevent unauthorized public gatherings.
DCP New Delhi detailed the legal enforcement in a post on
“A prohibitory order under Section 163 BNSS (formerly Section 144 CrPC) is in force in the New Delhi district. Accordingly, protest marches, processions, demonstrations and gatherings of five or more persons are strictly prohibited, except at the designated protest site at Jantar Mantar, after obtaining prior permission,” it added.
