The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) on Saturday claimed that climate activist Sonam Wangchuk's health was deteriorating rapidly as he entered the seventh day of his hunger strike at Jantar Mantar, intensifying its demand for Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation over alleged examination irregularities.
The protest against alleged irregularities in competitive examinations, including NEET, entered its 15th day on Saturday.
CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke alleged that Wangchuk had lost five kilograms since beginning his fast and questioned why Pradhan had not yet been removed from office.
"Sonam Sir has lost 5 kg, and his health is deteriorating with each passing day. How much longer will the Prime Minister wait before sacking Dharmendra Pradhan?" Dipke said.
"Why is Dharmendra Pradhan so important to PM Modi that, despite the deaths of 20 students, he still refuses to remove him?" he asked.
In another post on X, Dipke warned that the government would be responsible if Wangchuk's condition worsened further.
"If the government doesn't act fast and take action against Pradhan, it will be responsible if anything happens to Sonam Sir. Despite his rapidly deteriorating health, he has made it clear that he will not end his hunger strike until action is taken," he said.
Dipke also shared a satirical cartoon depicting a man attempting to eat papers labelled "Exam Paper" while being restrained by two cockroaches, with the caption: "Go back Dharmendra Pradhan."
Late on Friday, Wangchuk welcomed progress in talks between the Centre and representatives of Ladakh over the region's long-pending demands, while urging the government to also address accountability in the education sector.
"Thank you government for steps taken today to resolve the Ladakh issue, now please pay attention to accountability in education," he said.
His remarks came after representatives of the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) said they had resolved differences with the Ministry of Home Affairs over the minutes of an earlier meeting, paving the way for the next phase of formal negotiations on Ladakh's proposed governance framework.
Leaders of the two organisations also credited Wangchuk's fast with helping break the deadlock in discussions with the Centre.
Meanwhile, six students affiliated with the All India Students' Association (AISA) continued their hunger strike at a separate stage at Jantar Mantar in support of the protest.
The agitation has drawn support from several political leaders and civil society members, including CPI(M) general secretary M A Baby, CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat, CPI general secretary D Raja, CPI(ML) Liberation general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya, social activist Yogendra Yadav, Supreme Court lawyer Prashant Bhushan, CPI leader Annie Raja, transparency activist Anjali Bhardwaj, RTI activist Nikhil Dey, and TMC MPs Sagarika Ghose and Mahua Moitra.
The CJP launched the protest on June 20, demanding action over alleged irregularities in several examinations, including the NEET medical entrance test.