Sonam Wangchuk begins hunger strike at Jantar Mantar:Demands Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation over NEET paper leak; CJP’s protest enters 9th day

Ladakh-based social activist Sonam Wangchuk began an indefinite hunger strike at Jantar Mantar on Sunday, joining the Cockroach Janta Party’s ongoing protest over the alleged NEET paper leak and irregularities in CBSE examinations. The demonstration entered its ninth day, with the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) continuing to demand the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The party has been staging protests at Jantar Mantar since 20 June, accusing the government of failing to address concerns over examination integrity. As Wangchuk’s hunger strike commenced, students and protesters gathered at the site. Several farmer leaders also joined the demonstration. Before beginning the fast, Wangchuk and CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat. Earlier, Dipke said the protest would continue until Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan stepped down. Pictures related to the hunger strike Sonam Wangchuk spent 170 days in Jodhpur jail Sonam Wangchuk, who has been agitating to get full statehood for Ladakh, had been in Jodhpur jail for 170 days. During Sonam’s hunger strike, violence occurred in Leh on September 24, 2025. 4 people died in these demonstrations. 90 people were injured. The government alleges that Wangchuk instigated this violence. Two days later, on September 26, Wangchuk was detained under the National Security Act (NSA). After this, he was immediately shifted to Jodhpur. Education Minister called CJP dividers of the country, Dipke’s response – We are taxpayers Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said in an interview to NDTV on June 23 that those who were rejected in democracy have come in disguise and are now after the system. They raise slogans for those people who want to divide the country. They have been identified. The Principal also said that some people are deliberately trying to derail education. Whether they are coaching center operators or education mafia, they are being monitored. We will bring them to their knees, otherwise we cannot secure the future of the country’s children. Dipke responded on social media platform X, saying, ‘We are taxpayers, our parents are taxpayers. We are being called terrorists. Is this not shameful? He targeted the government by mentioning allegations of farmers and doctors also being called terrorists in the past and asked who is left now who has not been called so.
Abhijeet said, When everything is being called confidential, then why couldn’t the NEET paper be kept confidential. He said that if the paper had not been leaked, many students would not have lost their lives. Earlier in another post on X, Dipke had written – ‘Dharmendra Pradhan calls us terrorists. The irony is that his hands are stained with the blood of more than 17 students.’ CJP formed after the CJI’s comment The Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) was launched following a remark by Chief Justice Surya Kant during a hearing on May 15 that some unemployed youth are like cockroaches who later attack the system by becoming media, social media or RTI activists. The day after this comment, on May 16, Abhijeet Dipke, who lives in the US, launched the CJP and created social media accounts for the party. On May 22, he launched an online petition demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, which reportedly received the support of over 8 lakh people. As of June 10, the CJP had 22.7 million followers on Instagram. This number has now dropped by 200,000. Still, this number is higher than the BJP’s 94 lakh followers and the Congress’s 1.37 crore. The CJP has 2.79 crore followers on Instagram. Abhijeet was earlier associated with AAP Abhijeet, 30, is a digital media strategist from Sambhaji Nagar, Maharashtra. He studied journalism in Pune. He is currently pursuing a Master’s in Public Relations at Boston University in the United States.