Sonam Wangchuk hunger strike highlights: Congress, AAP slam Aamir Khan over '3 Idiots' remark; Sule visits Jantar Mantar

• According to the latest medical bulletin issued by Dr Satish Lamba at 9:30 am on July 17, activist Sonam Wangchuk's weight has dropped to 56.55 kg. Doctors warned that Wangchuk has now entered a third stage, where organ involvement is possible if the fast continues.

• The Delhi High Court on Friday agreed to hear a PIL on July 20 alleging "continuous, indiscriminate and intrusive surveillance" of protesters participating in the ongoing agitation at Jantar Mantar over the alleged NEET-UG irregularities.

• Wangchuk on Friday asserted that he would “stay alive till July 20 at any cost”. "I will stay alive till July 20 at any cost. If you don't come and July 20 is not successful, I will come back as a ghost," he said in a lighter vein, drawing cheers from the gathering.

• The health of three All India Students' Association (AISA) activists, who are on an indefinite hunger strike at Jantar Mantar to protest alleged irregularities in competitive examinations, deteriorated further on Friday, with doctors advising one of them to be hospitalised immediately due to severe hypoglycaemia.

• Over 160 prominent citizens from various walks of life in Assam, including litterateurs, academics, poets, journalists and retired government officials, on Friday appealed to activist Sonam Wangchuk to end his indefinite fast, saying that "compassion or civility" cannot be expected from a "wooden-hearted and power-driven" dispensation.

Sonam Wangchuk hunger strike LIVE: Congress leader Sachin Pilot on Friday demanded the resignation of union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

“Wangchuk has been on a hunger strike for nearly 19 days. The government should engage in dialogue and find a solution. The education minister should resign to restore the confidence of students,” Pilot said, according to PTI news agency.

Asserting that repeated paper leaks had eroded faith in the examination system, he said the Congress was running a nationwide campaign against irregularities in recruitment examinations and for reforms in the education sector.

When late Ladakhi leader Sonam Wangyal launched an indefinite hunger strike in 1984, demanding ST status for Ladakh's communities, then prime minister Indira Gandhi travelled to Leh, assured him that the demand would be addressed and persuaded him to end the fast, according to historical accounts.

Memories of the decades-old episode resurfaced in the public discourse on Friday as Wangyal's son, climate activist and educator Sonam Wangchuk, continued his indefinite hunger strike for the 20th day, with political leaders and social media users juxtaposing the current dispensation's response with that of Gandhi's.

Senior Congress leader Sachin Pilot on Friday demanded the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, accusing the Centre of failing to address recurring examination paper leaks and ignoring the concerns of students across the country.

Speaking to reporters in Tonk, Pilot called on the Centre to initiate dialogue with activist Sonam Wangchuk, who has been on an indefinite hunger strike over paper leaks.

"Wangchuk has been on a hunger strike for nearly 19 days. The government should engage in dialogue and find a solution. The education minister should resign to restore the confidence of students," the Tonk MLA and former deputy chief minister said.

Asserting that repeated paper leaks had eroded faith in the examination system, he said the Congress was running a nationwide campaign against irregularities in recruitment examinations and for reforms in the education sector.

The Delhi High Court on Friday agreed to hear a public interest litigation (PIL) on July 20, alleging "continuous, indiscriminate and intrusive surveillance" at the ongoing protest at Jantar Mantar here over alleged irregularities in the NEET-UG examination.

The PIL by former JNUSU President Aishe Ghosh sought urgent hearing before a bench of Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia.

The senior counsel of the petitioner said that policemen were roaming with mobiles and cameras at the protest site, which, they claim, was breaking the morale of the protesting students.

She claimed that the police's conduct was in flagrant violation of the fundamental right to privacy of the protesters.

After the senior counsel urged the court to list the PIL for an urgent hearing, Chief Justice Upadhyaya scheduled it for Monday.

"We are preponing it (from Wednesday when PILs are heard). Come on Monday," Chief Justice Upadhyaya said.

The Cockroach Janta Party has been holding a protest for over 26 days demanding Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation over alleged irregularities in the NEET-UG examination.

Activist Sonam Wangchuk joined the agitation on June 28 and has been on an indefinite fast since then.

Over 160 prominent citizens from various walks of life in Assam, including litterateurs, academics, poets, journalists and retired government officials, on Friday appealed to activist Sonam Wangchuk to end his indefinite fast, saying that "compassion or civility" cannot be expected from a "wooden-hearted and power-driven" dispensation.

They claimed that Wangchuk has exposed the "heartlessness and insensitivity" of those in power by not responding to his protest.

Wangchuk joined a protest organised by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on June 28 over alleged examination irregularities. He has been on an indefinite fast since then, demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged irregularities in the NEET-UG examination.

The signatories, in an appeal, said Wangchuk's health had been deteriorating as his hunger strike entered its 20th day and urged him to withdraw the protest.

"Sonam Wangchuk is a globally renowned environmental activist and educationist who also embodies the pride and aspirations of the Ladakhi people. The government of India should have responded to his peaceful protest much earlier," they said.

"However, expecting compassion or civility from a dispensation that appears wooden-hearted and power-driven is like crying in the wilderness," the appeal added.

The signatories maintained that by persisting with his fast, Wangchuk "has already succeeded in exposing the heartlessness and insensitivity of those in power".

"When the government remains unmoved by such a protracted hunger strike by a person of Wangchuk's eminence and stature, one can only imagine how ordinary citizens and dissenters are treated," they maintained.

The signatories included intellectual Hiren Gohain, former Assam DGP Harekrishna Deka, former Archbishop of Guwahati Thomas Menamparampil, ex-Rajya Sabha MP Ajit Kumar Bhuyan, Sahita Akademi awardees Apurba Sarma and Arupa Patangia Kalita, retired academics, former police and civil services officers, editors and advocates, among others.

The CPI(M) expressed concern on Friday over the deteriorating health of activist Sonam Wangchuk, who is on an indefinite hunger strike at Delhi's Jantar Mantar, and accused the BJP-led Centre of displaying "insensitivity" by refusing to engage with the protesting students and leaders.

In a statement, the Politburo of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) alleged that the Centre's refusal to hold talks with the protesters reflects its "insensitive and authoritarian character".

"The Union government's refusal to interact with the protesting leaders and students underlines its great insensitivity and authoritarian character. The failure of the Union government to conduct leak-proof examinations has its roots in the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020," the statement said.

"The centralisation and commercialisation of the education system promoted by the NEP is leading to the mushrooming of the coaching industry. This, apart from communalisation, is the root cause of paper leakage and all kinds of irregularities," it added.

The Left party reiterated its demand for the immediate resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and the scrapping of the National Testing Agency (NTA) and the NEP-2020.

The CPI(M) also appealed to all its units and "concerned citizens" to stand in solidarity with Wangchuk and the students participating in the agitation. It announced that protests would be organised across the country on July 20 in support of the ongoing movement and to press its demands.

As climate activist and educator Sonam Wangchuk's indefinite hunger strike in Delhi entered a critical stage on the 20th day, among his growing number of supporters were hundreds of youths, women, retired government officials and civil society members in Solan who observed a one-day symbolic hunger strike on Friday.

The protesters gathered at the Children's Park here and slammed the Union Education Minister Dharmedra Pradhan for his alleged apathy in the face of "recurring" paper leaks in the country and the lack of engagement with the ongoing students' movement at Jantar Mantar in the national capital.

The protest here was organised by several local organisations, including the Jagruk Yuva Sangathan and Jagruk Nagarik Manch.

In support of the scheduled march to Parliament on July 20 to demand the minister's resignation, the protesters here also decided to hold a massive demonstration in Solan on the same day.

The health of three All India Students' Association (AISA) activists, who are on an indefinite hunger strike at Jantar Mantar to protest alleged irregularities in competitive examinations, deteriorated further on Friday, with doctors advising one of them to be hospitalised immediately due to severe hypoglycaemia.

The student organisation said the three activists -- Neha, Aameen and Manish -- have completed 20 days of hunger strike, even as the Centre remained unresponsive to their demands.

In a statement, AISA said Neha's blood sugar level has fallen to a critically low level, and doctors have advised her to end the fast and get admitted to the hospital before her condition worsens.

It said Aameen has developed very high uric acid levels and has lost nearly 14 per cent of his body weight, while Manish has lost over 10 kg and has been on the verge of losing consciousness, requiring constant support even for basic activities.

Three generations of the Gandhi family have now, in different ways, found themselves entangled with Sonam Wangchuk's politics of the fast, even as Narendra Modi’s government remains indifferent at best to the protest at Jantar Mantar.

As Wangchuk’s hunger strike entered its 20th day in Delhi on Friday, the Congress's response to the activist and the Cockroach Janta Party's (CJP) protest has moved on three tracks — one rooted in family memory, one of caution as main Opposition, and a third keeping some measured distance for a parallel track. Read the full story here.

Sonam Wangchuk hunger strike LIVE: Leaders from the Congress, RJD and AAP on Friday criticised actor Aamir Khan over his statement that his character in 3 Idiots was not based on education reformer Sonam Wangchuk, alleging that he was reluctant to take a stand against the ruling establishment.

RJD Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Jha questioned why Khan issued the clarification now.

"How many years did it take him to say this? Until now, everyone knew that (Wangchuk's life inspired a character in 3 Idiots). It shows that keeping one's spine straight before those in power is not easy," Jha told PTI Videos.

Referring to Wangchuk's ongoing hunger strike, Jha said the RJD leadership had urged the activist to end his fast, arguing that "there is no point holding a fast before a power that lacks compassion".

AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh also took aim at Khan, accusing him of yielding to the government.

"Whether it is Aamir Khan or anyone else, this Modi government has exposed everyone's character. They have all bowed before it. They do not have the courage to speak," Singh said.

Mahatma Gandhi, Bhagat Singh, Potti Sreeramulu, Irom Sharmila, Anna Hazare… And Sonam Wangchuk today. The list is long, the causes different, the means the same - fasting to register protest and make yourself heard.

From a few days to 16 years. The many hunger strikes of varying scale buried under the sands of time have tugged at the heartstrings of a nation that takes pride in its legacy of fasting against injustice as a protest tool.

As Wangchuk's strike, in solidarity with the Cockroach Janta Party over irregularities in the exam system, entered day 20 on Friday, attention swivelled to Delhi's Jantar Mantar where hundreds have been gathering to express their support to him and other students fasting with him.

Wangchuk's fast unto death lies on the bedrock of hunger strikes through contemporary Indian history, starting with Gandhi and including Irom Sharmila who went off food for 16 years against the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) and holds the record for the longest hunger strike anywhere in the world.

"...a fast which a votary of non-violence sometimes feels impelled to undertake by way of protest against some wrong done by society, and this he does when he as a votary of Ahimsa has no other remedy left. Such an occasion has come my way."

Gandhi, one of the strongest proponents of fasting as a way of protest, wrote this ahead of the last of his 18 fasts on January 13, 1948 from Birla House for restoration of communal peace across the nation. Two weeks later, he was assassinated in the same place.

"I never like to feel resourceless, a Satyagrahi never should. Fasting is his last resort in the place of the sword - his or other's," he wrote in Harijan.

The father of the nation undertook 18 fasts for various reasons, starting from a seven-day fast in Phoenix, South Africa, as penance for the inmates, followed by another daylong fast at the ashram for similar reasons.

The longest of his fasts lasted 21 days, including those for Hindu-Muslim unity, against untouchability, and detention by the British without charges.

Gandhi's idea of hunger strike found resonance in his followers, most prominently with freedom fighter Potti Sreeramulu.

The staunch Gandhian played a pivotal role in the creation of Andhra State. He started fasting in October 1952, demanding a separate state for Telugu speakers, something that prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru had resisted.

On the 58th day, he died.

The region burst into the flames of violent protests, forcing the government to chalk out the land that later came to be known as Andhra Pradesh.

In death, Sreeramulu managed to change the country's map through the sheer resolution of a hunger strike.

According to Ajay Gudavarthy, associate professor of political science at JNU, Gandhi's understanding of fasting went beyond just seeing it as a means for putting pressure on the government.

"...he also saw it as a sense of self purification to make one's own intentions clear. And he thought that arguments don't make intentions clear. The preparedness for suffering does. Fasting was that kind of a self purificatory act to express one's purity of one's own intent," Gudavarthy told PTI.

In pre-Independence India, the names of Bhagat Singh, Batukeshwar Dutt, and Jatindra Nath Das are remembered for leading a hunger strike in 1929 to improve prison conditions where they were held for the killing of John Saunders.

They demanded to be treated as political prisoners and equality in food standards, clothing, toiletries, and access to books and newspapers. The protest received support from Nehru and Mohammed Ali Jinnah.

After 63 days and many attempts by the British government to break their resolve, Das succumbed to starvation.

Singh broke his fast after 116 days but not without securing significant prison reforms for other Indian prisoners.

"It's very well recorded Bhagat Singh's hunger strike led to prison reforms. He was able to change a lot of things in the prison where he was kept," said Ajay Mehra, former principal, Shaheed Bhagat Singh Evening College.

In more recent times, Manipuri activist Irom Sharmila began her hunger strike on November 5, 2000. She was repeatedly arrested in different Indian states before ending her fast on August 9, 2016.

Beyond raising political awareness about the issues surrounding AFSPA, Sharmila's protest achieved little in terms of her original demands. The following year, she entered electoral politics by contesting the state elections but suffered a crushing defeat, securing fewer than 100 votes.

While Sharmila was braving starvation in Manipur, social activist Anna Hazare sat on a hunger strike in Delhi in August 2011 to demand enactment of an anti-corruption law.

Even though the fast lasted 11 days, it caught the public sentiment in a way that was unprecedented in recent years.

Centred around the protest at Delhi's Ramlila Maidan, where thousands of supporters gathered, many similar protests broke out across the nation, demanding a strong anti-corruption law.

The Lokpal Bill was passed by the Lok Sabha in December 2011, by the Rajya Sabha in December 2013 and came into effect on January 16, 2014 after then President Pranab Mukherjee's assent.

In 2013, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Arvind Kejriwal went on a 15-day hunger strike to protest against allegedly inflated electricity and water bills in Delhi.

There have been others.

Activist Medha Patkar went on a 20-day hunger strike in 2006 to protest the raising of the Sardar Sarovar Dam height and demanded rehabilitation of tens of thousands of displaced families.

The same year, TMC leader Mamata Banerjee went on a 26-day hunger strike to protest against the Left Front government's acquisition of fertile farmland in Singur for a Tata Motors factory.

One of the most notable hunger strikes in recent times was undertaken by environmentalist G D Agrawal in June 2018.

An IITian, Agrawal sat on several hunger strikes with demands to stop environmentally damaging projects and ensure the uninterrupted flow of the Ganga. After 111 days on fast, Agrawal died of starvation at the age of 86.

NCP (SP) MP Supriya Sule visited Jantar Mantar to show solidarity with Sonam Wangchuk & CJP protesters.

Former Union Law Minister Ashwani Kumar on Friday met Sonam Wangchuk and requested him to preserve his health and life by ending his fast.

In a statement, Kumar said the lives of conscientious dissenters should be prized and not compromised, as he lauded Wangchuk for having fought for public causes dear to him.

"In any responsive and dignitarian democracy, the lives of conscientious dissenters should be prized and not compromised for any reason.

"This has been our tradition and there have been several occasions when political leadership has risen to the occasion to ensure that precious Indian lives are not lost," the former minister for Law and Justice said in a statement.

He said Wangchuk has fought for public causes dear to him, saying, "the nation prays for his good health and long life in the service of these causes."

"I would appeal to him to end his fast now, having made his point, and hope that Government will suitably facilitate the ending of the fast," Ashwani Kumar said.

Sonam Wangchuk hunger strike LIVE: Leaders from the Congress, RJD and AAP on Friday criticised actor Aamir Khan over his statement that his character in 3 Idiots was not based on education reformer Sonam Wangchuk, alleging that he was reluctant to take a stand against the ruling establishment.

RJD Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Jha questioned why Khan issued the clarification now.

"How many years did it take him to say this? Until now, everyone knew that (Wangchuk's life inspired a character in 3 Idiots). It shows that keeping one's spine straight before those in power is not easy," Jha told PTI Videos.

Referring to Wangchuk's ongoing hunger strike, Jha said the RJD leadership had urged the activist to end his fast, arguing that "there is no point holding a fast before a power that lacks compassion".

AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh also took aim at Khan, accusing him of yielding to the government.

"Whether it is Aamir Khan or anyone else, this Modi government has exposed everyone's character. They have all bowed before it. They do not have the courage to speak," Singh said.

RSonam Wangchuk hunger strike LIVE: Educator and climate activist Sonam Wangchuk's indefinite hunger strike entered its 20th day on Friday, with doctors reporting continued weight loss and closely monitoring his health. Wangchuk joined the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP)'s protest at Delhi's Jantar Mantar on June 28 and has been fasting since, demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged examination irregularities.

The CJP has called for a peaceful march to Parliament on July 20, the opening day of the Monsoon Session. Follow live updates on Sonam Wangchuk's hunger strike here.

According to a health bulletin issued by the medical team on Friday, Wangchuk now weighs 56.55 kg after losing another 350 grams over the past 24 hours. His cumulative weight loss since the start of the fast has reached around 9.5 kg. Read more here

Sonam Wangchuk hunger strike LIVE: The Congress on Friday expressed solidarity with activist Sonam Wangchuk and other members of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), who are protesting at Delhi's Jantar Mantar over alleged examination irregularities.

The opposition party also urged the Centre to uphold its "Raj Dharma" by engaging with the demonstrators.

Congress leader Pawan Khera met Wangchuk and other CJP members at the protest site and said it was the government's responsibility to listen to citizens raising their concerns through peaceful protest.

Criticising the Centre, Khera said its refusal to engage with Wangchuk and the protesting youths reflected an arrogance that had no place in a democracy.

"Today, on behalf of the Congress Party, I met Shri Sonam Wangchuk and the protesters at Jantar Mantar, and urged them to end their fast in light of their deteriorating health. A movement is not strengthened by losing its people. We live to fight another day," Khera said in a post on X.

He said peaceful protest is a constitutional right in a democracy and stressed that governments must respond to citizens' concerns.

"When citizens undertake a fast to be heard, the government's duty is to listen, not look away. That is Raj Dharma," Khera said.

Sonam Wangchuk hunger strike LIVE: Congress leader Kumari Selja on Friday said Sonam Wangchuk's 19-day fast reflects the concerns of students and youth in the country. Selja, a Congress MP from Sirsa, said repeated incidents of paper leaks and the alleged lack of effective action against those responsible have undermined the confidence of students in the examination system, PTI news agency reported.

Sonam Wangchuk hunger strike LIVE: activist Sonam Wangchuk on Friday asserted that he would "stay alive till July 20 at any cost", even as his indefinite hunger strike entered its 20th day amid a warning from doctors that his prolonged fast has reached a critical stage.

As the Cockroach Janta Party's (CJP) agitation at Jantar Mantar against alleged examination irregularities entered its 28th day on Friday, Congress leader Pawan Khera became the latest political leader to visit Wangchuk and other protesters to express his solidarity.

Addressing supporters at the protest site, Wangchuk acknowledged his weakening physical condition but said his resolve remained unshaken.

"I am weak from the outside but very strong inside. I am sure all of you are strong from the inside, and outside too. We need this energy for July 20, when we will take out a peaceful march to Parliament. We will go together and present our plea in the temple of democracy," he said.

"I will stay alive till July 20 at any cost. If you don't come and July 20 is not successful, I will come back as a ghost," he said in a lighter vein, drawing cheers from the gathering.

Sonam Wangchuk hunger strike LIVE: There's the hunger that gnaws at the stomach, and then “the hunger for power that people in government have” — that was the contrast Neha Bora offered this week for the fast she and two other student activists have kept up for 20 days and counting at Jantar Mantar, parallel to activist Sonam Wangchuk's fast under the banner of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP).

Neha, who is national president of the All India Students' Association (AISA), along with Manish and Aameen who are also fasting, has been seeking Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation over recent exam leaks and irregularities.

Doctors have warned their bodies are beginning to fail them, and at least three other comrades from the CPI(ML)-Liberation-affiliated AISA have had to be taken to hospital already. According to the organisation, Aameen is “at risk of hypovolemic shock” due to dehydration; Neha's blood sugar level has dropped to a dangerous 49 mg/dL; and Manish has lost more than 10 per cent of his body weight.

AISA said the three would continue their fast in solidarity with Wangchuk despite the worsening condition. Dr Tilopa, who examined the activists on Thursday, offered a grim assessment of their vitals. Read full report here

Sonam Wangchuk hunger strike LIVE: Bollywood star Aamir Khan said his character in the film "3 Idiots" was not based on Sonam Wangchuk, calling it a "misconception" and expressed concern over the activist's hunger strike.

Khan attended the Q&A session at the London Indian Film Festival, where he was asked by a reporter to address Wangchuk's protest. The video has been circulating on the internet.

"3 Idiots" was directed by Rajkumar Hirani and released in 2009. It featured the actor in the role of Phunsukh Wangdu (Rancho).

Khan said during the making of the film neither he nor the writers of the film knew about Wangchuk.

"No, that's not true actually. That is a misconception. I didn't know about Mr Sonam at that time when we were doing this film '3 Idiots'... I want to tell you neither Raju nor Abhijat, the writers of the film, nor I. We didn't know about Mr Sonam. However, what Mr Sonam is doing is good work in any case. He doesn't have to be based on the character of '3 Idiots' for us to respect him and the work that he does," he said.

via PTI

Sonam Wangchuk hunger strike LIVE: Congress leader Pawan Khera on Friday met activist Sonam Wangchuk, who is on a hunger strike at Jantar Mantar demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, and urged him to end his fast in view of his deteriorating health.

In a post on X after the meeting, Khera said peaceful protest is a constitutional right in a democracy and asserted that it is the government's duty to engage with citizens who undertake a fast to have their voices heard.

"In a democracy, peaceful protest is a constitutional right. When citizens undertake a fast to be heard, the duty of the government is to listen -- not look away. That is Raj Dharma," Khera said.

Drawing parallels with previous governments, the Congress leader said former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1984 and the UPA government led by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in 2011 had engaged with protesters despite differences.

"That is what Smt. Indira Gandhi Ji did in 1984. That is what Dr. Manmohan Singh's government did in 2011. They understood that a government's first responsibility is engagement, even in disagreement," he said.

Khera alleged that the present government has chosen "indifference" towards demands for education reforms raised by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, the National Students' Union of India (NSUI), the Indian Youth Congress (IYC) and protesters at Jantar Mantar.

"This government, however, has chosen indifference. It has refused to engage with the demand for education reforms -- whether raised by Shri Rahul Gandhi and the NSUI and IYC workers across the country or the protesters at Jantar Mantar. Such indifference is not merely arrogant; it is callous and wholly unworthy of a democracy," he said.

Sonam Wangchuk hunger strike LIVE: Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Friday expressed concern over climate activist Sonam Wangchuk's deteriorating health amid his ongoing hunger strike, urging the High Court to take cognisance of the matter and alleging that the government was being "insensitive" to the issue.

Speaking to media in Nagpur, Raut said, "The High Court should take cognisance. They should take responsibility for the NEET paper leak and seek the resignation of the minister concerned."

"It has now been 20 days of Sonam Wangchuk's hunger strike. His condition is very serious, with the possibility of organ failure. Are these reports not reaching the Prime Minister, the Home Minister, or President Droupadi Murmu? They are being insensitive," he added.

Wangchuk has been on an indefinite hunger strike at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi demanding accountability over examination irregularities, including the NEET-UG paper leak, and seeking the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

via ANI

Sonam Wangchuk hunger strike LIVE: Filmmaker Kiran Rao has extended her support to activist Sonam Wangchuk amid his hunger strike and urged the government to "enter into a dialogue with the protestors".

The activist has been on an indefinite hunger strike after joining the Cockroach Janata Party's (CJP) protest demanding education minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation over alleged irregularities in the NEET examination on June 28.

Rao shared a picture of Wangchuk on her Instagram handle on Thursday, which read "I support Sonam" and said it is distressing to "witness the complete silence" despite his hunger strike.

"I stand in solidarity with Sonam Wangchuk, Abhijeet Dipke, the CJP, and all the citizens of this country, young and old, who are protesting for the rights of our students. My salaams to Sonam ji, Neha, Maneesh, Ameen and all the others for undertaking a hunger strike to make sure that justice is served. Our nation is indebted to you for shaking us out of our apathy and reminding us that every voice counts," she wrote.

"It is so distressing to witness the complete silence that this hunger strike has been met with, even after 19 days. What will it take for those in power to listen to the people?… it is shocking and inhumane.

"I urge the government to enter into a dialogue with the protestors, to understand the pain of the students, and end this impasse. We the people have a right to be heard," she added.

via PTI

Sonam Wangchuk hunger strike LIVE: The Delhi High Court on Friday agreed to hear a public interest litigation (PIL) on July 20, alleging "continuous, indiscriminate and intrusive surveillance" at the ongoing protest at Jantar Mantar here over alleged irregularities in the NEET-UG examination.

The PIL by former JNUSU President Aishe Ghosh sought urgent hearing before a bench of Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia.

The senior counsel of the petitioner said that policemen were roaming with mobiles and cameras at the protest site, which, they claim, was breaking the morale of the protesting students.

She claimed that the police's conduct was in flagrant violation of the fundamental right to privacy of the protesters.

After the senior counsel urged the court to list the PIL for an urgent hearing, Chief Justice Upadhyaya scheduled it for Monday.

"We are preponing it (from Wednesday when PILs are heard). Come on Monday," Chief Justice Upadhyaya said.

via PTI