New Delhi [India], July 25 (ANI): The Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) on Saturday hailed activist Sonam Wangchuk’s 26-day hunger strike as the moral force behind the nationwide movement against alleged examination irregularities, saying his Gandhian satyagraha had “awakened an entire nation,” hours after the organisation announced the withdrawal of its 37-day agitation at Jantar Mantar following an agreement with the Centre.
In a post on X, the CJP expressed gratitude to Wangchuk for lending moral leadership to the movement and credited his peaceful protest with uniting people across the country.
“Sonam Wangchuk’s (@Wangchuk66) Gandhian satyagraha awakened an entire nation. Fasting for 26 days for the youth of this country was a pure and supreme sacrifice. It will go down in history as the moral force that united us all against impossible odds. Words cannot fully express our thanks for your contributions. We love you and are endlessly grateful for your satyagraha,” the organisation posted.
https://x.com/Cockroachisback/status/2081001270547198105
Earlier in the day, the CJP announced the withdrawal of its 37-day agitation at Jantar Mantar after the third round of talks with Union Ministers JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh at the Constitution Club in New Delhi.
Addressing a press conference, CJP chief spokesperson Saurav Das said the organisation was ending the protest “in good faith” after the Centre accepted its key demands and assured implementation within agreed timelines.
According to the CJP, the government has agreed to provide suitable compensation to the families of NEET aspirants who died by suicide and has assured the withdrawal of FIRs lodged against protesters across the country.
The organisation also submitted a five-point charter seeking broader educational and examination reforms and said another round of discussions with the government would be held after four weeks to review progress on those proposals.
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned from the Union Cabinet earlier on Saturday, stating that he had submitted his resignation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ensure that the protests over examination irregularities were not exploited by “anti-national forces.”
In his resignation letter, Pradhan said the unity of the country must remain intact and that the future of students should not become entangled in legal complications. He also defended the government’s handling of the NEET-UG controversy, noting that the Centre had transferred the investigation into the irregularities to the CBI, cancelled the examination and conducted a re-test.
Speaking to reporters at Medanta Hospital in Gurugram after the developments, Wangchuk welcomed the Centre’s decision and described the resignation as “a victory for democracy.”
He urged students and protesters to remain peaceful and humble following what he described as a significant democratic achievement.
“The true strength of democracy comes from our peace, not from muscle power… Now, when you feel that victory has been achieved, humility in victory is the most important thing; it defines and displays your character,” Wangchuk said.
He also stressed that the resignation should not mark the end of the movement, calling for comprehensive reforms in education and governance.
“On one hand, while we have achieved accountability this time, there is now a need to work on reforms. A nation is not built merely by a resignation. There must be reforms in education, and work should continue on that front,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Centre is preparing to introduce a stringent anti-paper leak law providing for Special Fast-Track Courts, a Special Task Force (STF), and other measures aimed at preventing examination malpractices across the country. (ANI)
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