New Delhi, 4 July  

Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk entered the seventh day of his hunger strike at Jantar Mantar on Saturday, with the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) saying he has lost five kilograms and that his health is deteriorating fast.

The outfit insisted on its demand for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged examination irregularities.

CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke on X said Wangchuk's condition was worsening with each passing day and wondered why Pradhan has not been sacked yet. "Sonam Sir has lost 5 kg, and his health is deteriorating with each passing day. How much longer will the Prime Minister wait before sacking Dharmendra Pradhan?" Dipke said.

"Why is Dharmendra Pradhan so important to PM Modi that, despite the deaths of 20 students, he still refuses to remove him?" he asked.

In another post, Dipke said the government would be responsible if anything happened to the activist. "If the government doesn't act fast and take action against Pradhan, it will be responsible if anything happens to Sonam Sir. Despite his rapidly deteriorating health, he has made it clear that he will not end his hunger strike until action is taken," he said.

Dipke also shared a satirical cartoon depicting a man attempting to eat papers labelled "Exam Paper" while being restrained by two cockroaches, with the caption: "Go back Dharmendra Pradhan."

In a post on X late Friday night, Wangchuk welcomed progress in talks between the Centre and Ladakh representatives over the region's demands and urged the government to now focus on accountability in education.

"Thank you government for steps taken today to resolve the Ladakh issue, now please pay attention to accountability in education," he said.

Wangchuk's remarks came after representatives of the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) said they had resolved differences with the Ministry of Home Affairs over the minutes of an earlier meeting, paving the way for the next phase of formal negotiations on Ladakh's proposed governance framework.

The leaders of the two bodies also credited Wangchuk's fast for the breaking of the stalemate with the Centre. Meanwhile, six students associated with the All India Students' Association (AISA) also continued their hunger strike at a separate stage at Jantar Mantar.

The protest, which entered its 15th day on Saturday, has drawn support from several political leaders and civil society members, including CPI(M) general secretary M A Baby, CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat, CPI general secretary D Raja, CPI(ML) Liberation general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya, social activist Yogendra Yadav, Supreme Court lawyer Prashant Bhushan, CPI leader Annie Raja, transparency activist Anjali Bhardwaj, RTI activist Nikhil Dey and TMC MPs Sagarika Ghose and Mahua Moitra.

The CJP protest began on 20 June over irregularities in several exams, including NEET, the premier medical entrance.