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New Delhi: Political support has grown for educationist and climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, who has entered the 19th day of his indefinite fast, which he started during the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protests at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on July 20 over the alleged NEET paper leak.

Samajwadi Party MP Dimple Yadav on Thursday, July 16, urged the Centre to initiate dialogue with Wangchuk and address the demands raised by the CJP, accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Union government of remaining unmoved despite the ongoing hunger strike and student deaths.

“The CJP will decide when to break the fast. I want to tell the government to show some sensitivity and start a dialogue. Stop being insensitive. You talk about Sanatan Dharma. Without mercy and empathy, Sanatan Dharma cannot survive,” she told reporters.

The Cockroach Janta Party has been holding a protest for over 25 days, demanding Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation over alleged irregularities in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) examination.

Wangchuk joined the agitation on June 28 and has been on an indefinite fast since then. His weight loss crossed nine kilograms on Thursday, with doctors warning that he had entered a critical stage and that the prolonged fast could begin affecting his organs.

In a video message released late Wednesday night, Wangchuk ruled out ending his fast despite appeals from political leaders and supporters, saying doing so without any response from the government would send the wrong message.

MP Yadav alleged that the BJP was rattled by the support the movement has received from the youth, saying this was reflected in the blocking of the CJP’s X handle.

She accused the ruling party of showing no empathy towards families of students who allegedly died by suicide following the alleged NEET paper leak.

SC Bar Association urges Sonam Wangchuk to end fast

The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) on Thursday appealed to Wangchuk to end his ongoing fast, saying the country needed him to remain “alive, active and engaged” rather than risk his health and life for a system in distress.

Later in the day, SCBA President Vikas Singh also visited Jantar Mantar to meet Wangchuk and handed over a letter, urging him to end his fast.

“His longstanding work, marked by discipline, innovation and an unwavering commitment to young learners, has transformed countless lives and stands as a model of service rooted in action, institution-building and direct engagement with communities,” the resolution said.

“We note with deep concern a period marked by systemic failures affecting millions of young citizens and a troubling erosion of accountability across public institutions,” it said.

The SCBA also expressed regret that a person of Wangchuk’s integrity had felt compelled to undertake such an extreme step for the betterment of the education system. It voiced concern over what it described as systemic failures affecting millions of young people and an erosion of accountability in public institutions.

Congress appeals to Wangchuk to end fast, says his concerns are our concerns

Congress general secretary in-charge organisation KC Venugopal appealed to the activist to end his indefinite hunger strike and asserted that “his concerns are our concerns” and it will continue to demand Pradhan’s resignation.

“Shri Sonam Wangchuk has now been on a hunger strike for 19 days, demanding the resignation of the Union Education Minister. The Indian National Congress has been making this very demand for over a month and a half.”

“We share the anguish and outrage that Shri Wangchuk ji feels, especially due to the lack of accountability within the Modi Govt – for the collapse of the examination system in particular,” Venugopal said in a post on X.

“In view of his health condition, we appeal to Shri Wangchuk to end his fast. His concerns are our concerns and that of other Opposition parties as well. Rest assured, we will continue to confront the Modi government and demand the Education Minister’s resignation,” the Congress leader said.

Kejriwal meets Wangchuk, calls for Pradhan’s resignation

Aam Aadmi Party chief  Arvind Kejriwal met climate activist Sonam Wangchuk at the Jantar Mantar and expressed solidarity with his protest against alleged paper leaks, demanding the resignation of Pradhan.

Addressing the protest, Kejriwal said the Centre should listen to the youth, students and Wangchuk, asserting that their concerns over repeated examination paper leaks should not go ignored.

“Every year, exam papers get leaked and youth pay the price. I appeal government to listen to students and Wangchuk,” the former Delhi chief minister said.

He urged Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan to step down, and suggested Wangchuk be made the country’s education minister.

Bollywood actors, Comedian Vir Das, MNS chief also appeal to Wangchuk

Music composer Vishal Dadlani, actors Sonakshi Sinha, Sayaji Shinde and Atul Kulkarni, comedian Vir Das, author Shobhaa De, MNS chief Raj Thackeray and former Congress MP Priya Dutt also appealed to the government to engage with Wangchuk and expressed concern over his deteriorating health.

Economists Jean Dreze and Reetika Khera visited the students at the protest site and expressed solidarity with them.

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) president Thackeray alleged that the BJP-led government at the Centre seemed to have decided to get rid of Wangchuk as well as the “space for protest in the country.”

Transparency is essential not only in NEET but in all examinations, Thackeray said in a social media post, and urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to pay attention to the issue.

“The reports regarding his (Wangchuk’s) health and the visuals on television are certainly alarming. It is deeply distressing to say this, but it appears the government has decided to get rid of Sonam Wangchuk, and by extension, the very space for protest in this country,” Thackeray said.

“The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena fully supports Sonam Wangchuk’s demands. Transparency is essential not just in NEET, but across all examinations, and the ministers responsible must resign,” Thackeray said.

The NEET paper leak was not an isolated incident as such things had occurred in the past too, the MNS chief said. During the BJP’s tenure, irregularities in examinations have been rampant, he alleged, citing the Vyapam scam in Madhya Pradesh and the latest leak of teacher eligibility test papers in Maharashtra.]

NCP (SP) leader Jayant Patil asks ‘national asset’ Wangchuk to end fast

Accusing the Union government of failing to accept responsibility for repeated examination paper leaks, Nationalist Congress Party (SP) leader Jayant Patil asked Wangchuk to end his indefinite hunger strike.

Describing Wangchuk as “a national asset”, the former Maharashtra minister said he should not be forced to risk his life because of the government’s refusal to act responsibly.

Wangchuk’s “modest demand” was that the minister concerned accept moral responsibility and resign over repeated examination paper leaks, which had jeopardised the future of countless young people across the country, Patil said.