Chinmayi Sripaada appeals again for Sonam Wangchuk to call off hunger strike: ‘NEET students don't have him on mind’

Singer Chinmayi Sripaada has posted a plea as activist Sonam Wangchuk enters day 18 of his hunger strike in New Delhi.

Singer Chinmayi Sripaada has made a second appeal, hoping that activist Sonam Wangchuk calls off his hunger strike as it enters its 18th day. In a post about it on X (formerly Twitter), she also pointed out that the very NEET students he’s protesting for don’t have the energy to focus on the cause due to alleged leaks and re-exams.

This is not the first time Chinmayi Sripaada has appealed for Sonam Wangchuk to call off his strike. (PTI/Instagram)

Chinmayi Sripaada’s appeal about Sonam Wangchuk

On Wednesday, Chinmayi wrote on X, “Please someone get Mr. Wangchuk to call off his fast. The NEET students themselves, exhausted as they are with paper leaks and re exams don’t have Sonam Wangchuk on their minds.” She also claimed that the government wouldn’t ‘care a damn’ if Wangchuk ‘fasted till the end’.

“Mine is a beautiful land run by the deeply corrupt, zero conscience whose followers are as dastardly (With a D not a B. Just in case you needed to be told.) as their masters; the word Dharma is peddled every second of every day,” wrote Chinmayi, adding, “What a beautiful country in the hands of rogues. God save my country.”

This is not the first time Chinmayi has made this appeal. On July 11, she reposting an X user hoping that the activist stays safe. She added, “I hope Sonam calls off his fast.” Explaining why she said that, she added, “No authority cares for him or any values and his life ends, it is one more person gone for good in a system selling lands forests and water to conglomerates.”

Chinmayi is not the first celebrity to either appeal to the government on behalf of Wangchuk or urge him to call off his strike. While Zeenat Aman, Omi Vaidya, and a few others urged the government to open dialogue, Naseeruddin Shah, Ratna Pathak Shah and others requested him to call off the hunger strike as his health deteriorated. Prakash Raj met Wangchuk in person to express solidarity with his cause.

Sonam Wangchuk’s hunger strike

Wangchuk has joined the Cockroach Janata Party’s protest at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi, demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET paper-leak controversy. A public interest litigation (PIL) has now been filed by Rakesh Kumar Saini at the Delhi High Court seeking intervention in the matter.

According to the petition, Wangchuk has reportedly lost around 8.25 kilograms since beginning his hunger strike and is suffering from recurrent episodes of low blood sugar, dizziness, severe weakness and muscle loss. The HC sought responses from the Centre and the Delhi government. The PIL seeks medical treatment and life-saving intervention for Wangchuk, as well as initiating dialogue with him over the issues he raised.

According to ANI, the plea further argues that while a peaceful hunger strike is a constitutionally protected form of protest, the government has a corresponding constitutional obligation to safeguard the life and health of every citizen and take timely measures to prevent avoidable loss of life.