CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke ended his hunger strike and joined the march; delegation met JP Nadda | Today’s news
Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke ended his indefinite hunger strike on the request of activist Sonam Wangchuk and father of NEET student Riya Thapa, who died of suicide.
Dipke began the fast after Wangchuk was hospitalized on July 18 when his own 21-day hunger strike required medical intervention. Dipke broke his fast with a glass of juice.
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Abhijeet Dipke ended his hunger strike at the request of activist Sonam Wangchuk and father of NEET student Riya Thapa, who urged him to lead a march to Parliament.
Sonam Wangchuk stated that he will end his hunger strike if the government takes responsibility for the failure of the education system, if the CJP MP leaders are assured that the problems of education will be addressed, or if the leaders visit him in the hospital with assurances.
The CJP’s march to Parliament aims to demand the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and press for accountability for recent failures in the education system following student suicides.
Police enforced bans and erected barricades to prevent the CJP’s march from proceeding towards Parliament, declaring the protest illegal.
CJP representatives Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka met Union Health Minister JP Nadda as part of government-initiated talks on the demands of the protesting students.
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In a post on X, the CJP said that the father of NEET student Riya Thapa, who died by suicide, convinced Diple to end his hunger strike so that he could lead the march to Parliament.
After breaking the fast, Dipke and other members of the CJP began a planned march towards Parliament amid heavy police deployment. Around the same time, CJP representatives Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka left to meet Union Health Minister JP Nadda. Dipke asked his supporters to stay put and wait for the outcome of the meeting.
Sharing an update on his official X handle, Saurav Das said the government had asked for talks earlier in the day.
“It’s 11:52 AM. Ashutosh Ranka and I are on our way to meet JP Nadda on behalf of Janata Cockroach Party. Govt has reached out for talks in the morning. Our demands are clear. Youth has gathered in huge numbers. We will win!”, Das wrote.
Das had earlier signaled the organization’s willingness to engage in talks with the government over their long-standing demands for exam reforms. While noting that the administration’s overtures have come late, he said they remain open to discussions about resolving the impasse over the education system.
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Das claimed that there was no clarity from the administration despite their recent attempt to open talks, adding that “the ball is in their court”.
Wangchuk is asking to be released from the hospital
Activist Sonam Wangchuk on Monday urged the authorities at Safdarjung Hospital to release him, citing his stable health, so that he could participate in the ‘Sansad Chalo’ march to Parliament led by Dipk and other activists.
Wangchuk, who was on hunger strike at Jantar Mantar demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, was admitted to Safdarjung Hospital on July 18 after his fast entered its 21st day.
In a note shared on his official handle X, Wangchuk said he was feeling well and asked hospital authorities to allow him to leave, albeit temporarily, to join the march.
“This is to say that I am feeling very well today and my health parameters also appear to be completely normal. Therefore, I request you to kindly allow me to leave the hospital, even if temporarily, so that I can join the March to Parliament – Sansad Chalo this morning. I will be very grateful,” Wangchuk wrote in a note.
Earlier, the police resorted to using mild lathi charge to disperse hundreds of protesters attempting to march towards the Parliament building. The demonstration, which began at Jantar Mantar, led to significant traffic disruption in the state capital as security personnel were deployed in large numbers to contain the growing crowd.
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According to the police notice, protest marches, processions, demonstrations and gatherings of five or more persons are prohibited, except at the designated protest site at Jantar Mantar with prior permission. Security has been beefed up near the campus in view of the monsoon session that began today.
