SRINAGAR: Calls for climate activist Sonam Wangchuk to end his indefinite hunger strike intensified on Tuesday after Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke said the activist’s health had deteriorated, claiming he had begun losing muscle mass and was experiencing severe pain.
Day 17 of Sonam Sir’s Hunger-Strike.
He has started losing muscle mass and is in immense pain. Like everyone else, I begged him to end his fast.
He calmly replied, “Don’t ask me to end my fast. Ask the govt why they won’t even have a dialogue.” pic.twitter.com/xPKFqJz4vL
— Abhijeet Dipke (@abhijeet_dipke) July 14, 2026
In a post on X, Dipke said Wangchuk had lost 8.5 kg since the start of the hunger strike and that his blood pressure was recorded at 109/70 mm Hg. He also shared details of a conversation in which he urged Wangchuk to end the fast.
“He has started losing muscle mass and is in immense pain. Like everyone else, I begged him to end his fast. He calmly replied, ‘Don’t ask me to end my fast. Ask the government why they won’t even have a dialogue,'” Dipke wrote.
Tuesday marked the 17th day of Wangchuk’s indefinite hunger strike and the 25th day of the CJP’s protest against Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
On Monday, Dipke had said Wangchuk had lost 8.2 kg, with his blood pressure at 107/70 mm Hg and blood glucose level at 67, while appealing to the government not to turn the protest into “a battle of egos”.
“I request the Government not to turn this into a battle of egos as human lives are at stake here. Acknowledging a mistake is not a sign of weakness. It is a sign of maturity, accountability, and the willingness to correct course,” he said.
The protest has drawn support from leaders across the political spectrum. Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra also appealed to Wangchuk to end his fast while continuing his campaign, saying his protest had already united young people across the country in support of justice.
Sonam Sir @Wangchuk66 your fast has united this country’s youth in their war for justice. Your goal is reached. Govt doesn’t care about your life or that of crores of youth. But your life matters to us. Pls call off fast & continue the fight.
— Mahua Moitra (@MahuaMoitra) July 14, 2026
The CJP protest began on June 20. Wangchuk joined the agitation on June 28 and has remained on an indefinite hunger strike since. Sonam Wangchuk is on Day 17 of an indefinite hunger strike at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi, as part of a youth-led protest demanding accountability for major competitive examination irregularities, including the NEET-UG paper leak controversy.
Meanwhile, the Union Government had not issued an immediate response to the latest appeals at the time of filing this report.
