New Delhi, June 29, 2026 | SP Collectionz News Desk
Climate activist and Ladakh crusader Sonam Wangchuk's indefinite hunger strike entered its second consecutive day on Monday at Delhi's Jantar Mantar, as the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)-led protest against Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan continued to gain momentum across the country.
Wangchuk, who launched the hunger strike on Sunday, June 28, had issued a week-long ultimatum to the Central government demanding Pradhan's resignation over alleged irregularities in national examinations, including the NEET paper leak scandal. When the Centre failed to respond, he joined CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke at the protest site, making good on his promise.
The situation at Jantar Mantar took a grim turn on Day 2 when Dipke alleged that Delhi Police denied a portable toilet for Wangchuk, who is observing a strict fast, and also alleged that the water supply to the existing portable toilets at the protest venue had been deliberately cut off.
Despite these hardships, hundreds of students and young protesters — many arriving from distant states like Bihar on general train tickets — continued to pour into the protest ground in a show of solidarity.
Left Parties firmly behind the agitation
The Left bloc has emerged as one of the most visible political forces backing the CJP movement. CPI National Secretary Annie Raja addressed the protest at Jantar Mantar and was subsequently attacked by alleged RSS-linked workers, drawing nationwide condemnation from the Left. CPI(ML) Liberation General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya, SFI leader Aishe Ghosh, and AISA president Neha Bora also participated in the movement.
CPI(M) senior Polit Bureau member Brinda Karat and General Secretary M.A. Baby, who recently led a protest march to the ED Headquarters in Delhi, are expected to extend formal solidarity with the ongoing agitation as it intensifies.
The broader Left opposition, comprising 16 organisations, marched with thousands of students to Jantar Mantar on June 29 to demonstrate their unified support for the cause.
Key Demands of the CJP Protest:
Immediate resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan
Accountability and transparency in the national examination system
Justice for students affected by NEET paper leaks and repeated exam fraud
The protest, which started as a Gen-Z satirical online movement, has now transformed into a broad-based people's movement drawing students, farmers, trade unions, Left parties, and civil society organisations. With Sonam Wangchuk's health becoming a point of national concern, pressure on the Central government is mounting by the hour.
