Abhijeet Dipke ends fast on Sonam Wangchuk's request, joins CJP Parliament march
Abhijeet Dipke, founder and president of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), on Monday ended his hunger strike at Jantar Mantar after activist Sonam Wangchuk appealed
Abhijeet Dipke, founder and president of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), on Monday ended his hunger strike at Jantar Mantar after activist Sonam Wangchuk appealed to him to conserve his strength and continue participating in the ongoing protest. Dipke, who had been fasting since Saturday, broke his fast with a glass of juice before joining the CJP-led march towards Parliament. According to Gitanjali Angmo, Wangchuk's wife, the activist, who has himself been on a hunger strike for more than 20 days, urged Dipke to end his fast so that he would have the energy to sustain the movement, news agency ANI reported. Read Full Story Dipke had launched his hunger strike after Delhi Police removed Wangchuk from Jantar Mantar on Saturday and shifted him to Safdarjung Hospital, citing directions issued by the Delhi High Court.
Wangchuk has been on an indefinite hunger strike since June 28, demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the alleged NEET-UG paper leak and calling for wider reforms in the education system. Meanwhile, CJP chief spokesperson Saurav Das said the government had initiated contact with the party for discussions. In a post on X, Das said he and party leader Ashutosh Ranka were on their way to meet Union Minister J P Nadda. "The government reached out to us for talks this morning. Ashutosh Ranka and I are on our way to meet JP Nadda. Our demands remain unchanged, and the youth has turned out in large numbers," Das wrote.
There was, however, no official confirmation from the government regarding the proposed meeting. The developments unfolded amid heightened security in central Delhi as thousands of protesters assembled near Parliament Street and attempted to march towards Parliament, demanding accountability for the alleged examination irregularities and the resignation of the Union Education Minister. Security personnel fired tear gas shells near Shastri Bhawan after groups of protesters tried to breach barricades and move towards Jantar Mantar to join the CJP's Parliament march. The situation prompted authorities to tighten security across the New Delhi. Additional police personnel from adjoining districts, along with several companies of paramilitary forces that had been kept in reserve, were deployed at key intersections, sensitive locations and around government buildings to prevent any breach of law and order.
As a precautionary measure, access to several nearby metro stations was restricted and some station gates were temporarily closed, leaving many commuters stranded during the security operation. A heavy deployment of police and paramilitary personnel continued across central Delhi as authorities monitored the evolving protest and maintained a multi-layered security arrangement around the high-security zone. Ends
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