NEW DELHI: Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk on Sunday began an indefinite hunger strike at Jantar Mantar, where the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) has been staging a protest since June 20, demanding the resignation of education minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged irregularities in examinations.Hundreds of protesters, mostly students and young people, gathered at Jantar Mantar on Sunday as Sonam Wangchuk began his indefinite hunger strike. Several farmer leaders also joined the demonstration, which commenced with a two-minute silence.Before launching the fast, Wangchuk, accompanied by Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke, visited Rajghat to pay tributes to Mahatma Gandhi.Ahead of the protest, CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke had appealed to farmers, students and civil society organisations to join the agitation and back the demand for accountability over alleged irregularities in the examination system, including the NEET medical entrance exam.On Sunday morning, Dipke claimed in a post on X that several farmer leaders from Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab had been placed under house arrest to prevent them from reaching Jantar Mantar.The Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) launched its protest at Jantar Mantar on June 20, demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the alleged examination irregularities.During the protest, Abhijeet Dipke alleged that the controversy extended beyond a single examination and reflected deeper concerns about transparency, accountability and public trust in the education system.The agitation has also drawn support from students, farmers and members of civil society, who have joined the demonstrations at Jantar Mantar.(With agency inputs)
