New Delhi [India], July 24 (ANI): Sonam Wangchuk’s wife, Gitanjali Angmo, on Friday stated that Sonam Wangchuk called off his indefinite hunger strike after receiving written confirmations from the government and backing from almost 65 Members of Parliament regarding educational reforms.
Talking to the reporters, Gitanjali Angmo highlighted that MPs have pledged support for legislative accountability and noted that both the government and opposition have committed to taking up systemic education reforms during the current Monsoon Session.
“At midnight, we got written confirmation from govt of acceptance of our demand for no FIR against student protestors, compensation for NEET victims and discussion on educational reforms in Parliament. JP Nadda ji and Jitendra Singh from the government had come here yesterday. Before that, 16 MPs visited here, and 65 MPs from the Opposition have given written assurance that this issue will be discussed in Parliament,” she said.
Stressing that examination irregularities exposed deep systemic flaws, Gitanjali Angmo announced that the movement achieved its core objectives following written guarantees and appeals from MPs.
Gitanjali Angmo noted that widespread public engagement exposed deeper systemic flaws during the recent demonstrations, leading to formal commitments for parliamentary debate and the conclusion of the protest fast, and described it as a successful movement.
She added, “The govt and the Opposition have decided that discussion on education reforms will take place in this Monsoon session. This has awakened the whole nation. NEET paper leak was the symptom, but the causes are present in the system.”
“We hope that this will be a wake-up call for the government. It has been a successful movement, and this is why Sonam ended his fast. From tomorrow, he will graduate to a semi-solid diet,” Gitanjali Angmo said.
Meanwhile, Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke, following social activist Sonam Wangchuk’s decision to end his 26-day hunger strike, asserted that the party’s agitation will persist until Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan steps down from his post.
Speaking to reporters, Dipke expressed relief over Wangchuk’s health but remained firm on the movement’s primary demand regarding accountability for examination irregularities.
“Our protest will continue until Dharmendra Pradhan resigns. We are very happy and relieved that Sonam sir has ended his hunger strike, as it had been over 26 days. His life is extremely precious to this country,” Dipke told reporters.
Reiterating the party’s stance on negotiations with the Centre, the CJP leader emphasised that any dialogue must occur on neutral ground.
“Our demonstration will go on until Dharmendra Pradhan steps down. Any meeting must take place at a neutral location or venue. Nothing less than the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan will be accepted,” he added.
Meanwhile, another Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) representative, Ashutosh Ranka, also stated that the ongoing protest at Jantar Mantar will persist until Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan tenders his resignation.
Addressing the media, the CJP representative shared the schedule for high-level deliberations and upcoming media briefings related to the ongoing protest.
“There is a meeting with JP Nadda Ji at the CCI scheduled for 12:30. As far as we have been told, Jitendra Singh Ji might also be present there. Whatever is discussed will be shared with you all. We have also organised a press conference at 11:00, where we will provide more details,” he told reporters.
Ranka confirmed that while the hunger strike led by Sonam has concluded following certain government assurances, the core objective of the movement remains the removal of the Minister.
Commenting on a video released by the Prime Minister earlier, Ranka said that the government is feeling the weight of the public outcry and urged for immediate action.
“Finally, we noticed that for the first time, the Prime Minister had to release a selfie video at 12 midnight, which shows that the pressure is very high. Prime Minister, you said that today you want to take very strict action; for us the strictest action would be to remove Dharmendra Pradhan. If you remove him quickly, then we will believe that you are truly serious about the youth of this country,’ he added.
Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) spokesperson Deepak Balyan also announced that ongoing demonstrations will persist without interruption until Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan steps down from his post, dismissing government assurances regarding fast-track courts as insufficient, adding youth of this country are awakened and won’t be fooled.
CJP spokesperson outlined the core stance of the agitation, stating, “CJP’s clear call is that this protest will continue indefinitely until Dharmendra Pradhan (Union Education Minister) resigns. PM Modi says cases will be tried in fast-track courts, but those are just words; we don’t trust them because the youth have been cheated many times before. The youth feel betrayed and are troubled.” (ANI)
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