Arvind Kejriwal, Rakesh Tikait to meet Sonam Wangchuk tomorrow

Sonam Wangchuk hunger strike LIVE: The Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) has called for a one-day mass hunger strike on July 16 in solidarity with climate activist Sonam Wangchuk and students across the country.

In a post on X, CJP said, “Tomorrow, July 16th, join us for 1-day mass hunger strike in solidarity with Sonam Wangchuk and the students of this country.”

Sonam Wangchuk hunger strike LIVE: With concerns rising over his worsening health, several public figures, including actors, writers and politicians, have expressed their support for Wangchuk while urging him to end his hunger strike.

Politicians, including TMC founder Mamata Banerjee, AAP's Arvind Kejriwal and Congress MP Shashi Tharoor have extended their support.

Meanwhile, actors, including Zeenat Aman, Shabana Azmi and Naseeruddin Shah have extended their support to Wangchuk.

Here is the full list so far.

Sonam Wangchuk hunger strike LIVE: CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke, who has been sharing daily updates on Wangchuk's health ever since the strike began, changed his profile picture on X on Wednesday and called on others to do so in order to show their “support to Sonam Wangchuk”.

Sonam Wangchuk hunger strike LIVE: The Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) has announced a ‘mass hunger strike’ on July 16 (Thursday) as activist Sonam Wangchuk continues his hunger strike despite deteriorating health.

“Tomorrow, July 16th, join us for 1-day mass hunger strike in solidarity with Sonam Wangchuk and the students of this country,” the CJP posted on its X account.

Sonam Wangchuk hunger strike LIVE: Activist Sonam Wangchuk's indefinite hunger strike reached its 18th day on Wednesday.

In a health update posted on the CJP's X account, Wangchuk's doctor was heard saying that the activist has lost 8.9 kg during the fast, while his blood pressure has fallen further to 105/76.

Sonam Wangchuk hunger strike LIVE: The Cockroach Janta Party has announced that it would march peacefully to Parliament on the first day of the monsoon session on July 20.

The CJP called upon students, parents and citizens from across the country to join the march to seek justice for students who allegedly ended their lives after glitches in competitive examinations surfaced, to demand a transparent and credible examination system, and to press for Pradhan's resignation.

In an X post earlier, Wangchuk appealed to people across the country to join the march, saying Parliament was the appropriate forum to raise the issue.

Sonam Wangchuk hunger strike LIVE: Food vlogger Aayush Sapra has been receiving backlash over his video reviewing the snacks being served while the activist continues his strike at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi.

In the video, which has now gone viral, Sapra is seen walking around the protest site, sampling different food items and interacting with people present there. Holding a bowl of chhole, he says, “Yahan we have chhole ki sabji. Roti khatam ho gayi hai. Demand bohot zyada hai. Sirf Sonam ji bhookhe hain, baki sab bhar bhar ke kha rahe hain)."

Later in the video, he speaks to people at the venue and jokingly says he feels like tempting Wangchuk with the samosas and chutney he is eating.

A user wrote on X: “It's utterly disgusting watching him spew such vile, nonsensical garbage while stuffing his face. What a pathetic and tasteless thing to joke about. The audacity makes me so mad.”

Another said, “No but at what point does someone become so morally deranged that there’s literally no shred of humanity left in them?”

Sonam Wangchuk hunger strike LIVE: Comedian and actor Vir Das extended support to Sonam Wangchuk's protest and urged the government to engage in dialogue.

“I'd like to believe a citizen on a 16day hunger strike warrants a conversation with the government whose actions brought him to that place. I say ‘a citizen’ because perhaps any citizen fighting for a cause, for students, would expect the same. Acknowledgment at some level of govt. I cannot imagine a person who wants harm to come to Mr Wangchuk. I don’t see why a mere dialogue is this hard," he wrote in a post on X.

He added, “As a citizen, I don’t pretend to understand any sort of political manoeuvring. As a citizen, I’ve certainly been proved wrong more than I have been right. Political strategy, alliances aside, as a citizen…you cannot dispute what he is fighting for. Younger citizens. Happy to be called naive, simplistic, or ignorant. But I see students crying for help, a citizen on a hunger strike, and I request my govt to engage in dialogue.”

Sonam Wangchuk hunger strike LIVE: Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, on Monday, called on Congress MP and Lok Sabha leader of opposition Rahul Gandhi to visit and show support for the Cockroach Janta Party's ongoing protest at Delhi's Jantar Mantar.

Speaking at a press conference in Mumbai, the UBT chief stated that he will visit the protest site, and called on Rahul Gandhi to visit as well.

“I will also go. Rahul Gandhi ji should also go. All those who have faith in the country's youth should go. People across the entire country should come out on the streets and support them,” he said.

As reported by HT earlier, Thackeray is scheduled to travel to Delhi on July 20 to visit Jantar Mantar and join the ongoing protest.

Sonam Wangchuk hunger strike LIVE: Senior Congress leader and Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor on Wednesday wrote an open letter to the CJP protesters gathered at the Jantar Mantar and urged Sonam Wangchuk to end his hunger strike.

“To Shri Sonam Wangchuk-ji, my heartfelt appeal: please end your fast. You have awakened the conscience of the nation; that is what a fast is meant to do. India needs your voice for the long road ahead,” he wrote in the letter posted on X.

“With Parliament in session again from Monday, we will have an opportunity to raise the students’ issues in the highest forum of our democracy. That’s where the problem should be addressed, not by fasting unto death. Please heed my plea.”

He urged the government to engage in dialogue with the protesters, saying that it is “not weakness; that is statesmanship”.

Sonam Wangchuk hunger strike LIVE: Educationist and activist Sonam Wangchuk has been on an indefinite hunger strike and has refused to end the protest demanding the resignation of Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET 2026 paper leak and alleged irregularities in the CBSE’s on-screen marking system.

The protest has been ongoing for 25 days, demanding the resignation of Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET 2026 paper leak and alleged irregularities in the CBSE’s on-screen marking system.

Wangchuk joined the protest on June 28 and has remained on an indefinite hunger strike since then. Tuesday marked the 17th day of his fast.

Protest organisers have claimed Wangchuk has lost over 8kg, developed muscle loss and is experiencing severe weakness, though he has refused repeated requests to end the fast.

Sonam Wangchuk hunger strike LIVE: Writer Arundhati Roy and actors Naseeruddin Shah and Ratna Pathak Shah appealed to protesters on indefinite hunger strike at Delhi's Jantar Mantar to call off their fast, while extending full support to their demand for Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation.

In a joint statement on Monday, the signatories said they were "immensely grateful" to the protesters for leading the agitation against the government but expressed deep concern over their worsening health.

"We salute your sense of purpose, the determination and courage with which you are spearheading this movement for students and youth across the country," the statement said.

Appealing to the protesters to end their fast, they said, "We request you to please consider ending this hunger strike immediately in the interests of the longer and more difficult struggle ahead. This battle is a marathon, not a sprint, and we need you, your strength and leadership in the days to come."

Sonam Wangchuk hunger strike LIVE: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday extended his support to the Cockroach Janata Party’s (CJP) protest at Jantar Mantar and urged climate activist Sonam Wangchuk to end his indefinite hunger strike amid concerns over his health.

Kejriwal said the AAP stands firmly with the CJP’s demands and called for Pradhan’s resignation. “The Central government must fix the system so that paper leaks never happen again and children do not have to suffer,” he said.

“There are many other ways to put your message across... I will visit the protest site at Jantar Mantar on Thursday to express solidarity,” Kejriwal said.

Sonam Wangchuk hunger strike LIVE: A public interest litigation (PIL) has been moved before the Delhi high court, seeking immediate medical care for Wangchuk. The petition has been filed by advocate Rakesh Kumar Saini.

Saini has urged the court to direct the Central Government and the Delhi government to shift Wangchuk to a hospital and ensure he receives the required medical treatment, including force-feeding. The plea also seeks directions to the authorities to safeguard Wangchuk's life and health, LiveLaw reported.

The case is scheduled to be heard today by a division bench of Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia.

“….take him to a government hospital and force feed him the necessary nutrients, vitamins and minerals, by way of a liquid diet which are necessary for a human body to survive,” the plea reportedly states.

Sonam Wangchuk hunger strike LIVE: "3 Idiots" actor Omi Vaidya on Tuesday urged people to pay attention to the deteriorating health of Sonam Wangchuk, who has been on hunger strike since June 28, saying he does not want the activist to die. Notably, Wangchuk inspired Aamir Khan's "3 Idiots" character of Phunsukh Wangdu.

Vaidya, who essayed the fan-favourite role of Chatur "Silencer" Ramalingam in the Rajkumar Hirani-directed 2009 film, shared a video on his X handle to bring people's attention to Wangchuk's situation.

"I don't want him to die. Hello idiots, pehchana? This is Omi Vaidya, Chatur from '3 Idiots'. I have an important message for you. I don't really do this very often, so please listen up," he said in the video.

Vaidya then reminded that Khan's character Phunsukh Wangdu was inspired by Wangchuk, calling him a "humble" and "pretty impressive person".

"I suggest you look it up and see what he is up to because right now he is on a very long hunger strike, it is over several weeks, and his blood sugar has gone down very much.

"I don't know if you have heard about this, I don't know if the media is reporting this, but this is a pretty important thing... Why he is on the hunger strike ? He has some issues with the education system in India...and whether you agree with him or not, I don't want him to die," the actor said.

Sonam Wangchuk hunger strike LIVE: Food vlogger Aayush Sapra has been receiving backlash over his video reviewing the snacks being served while the activist continues his strike at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi.

A user wrote on X: “It's utterly disgusting watching him spew such vile, nonsensical garbage while stuffing his face. What a pathetic and tasteless thing to joke about. The audacity makes me so mad.”

Another said, “No but at what point does someone become so morally deranged that there’s literally no shred of humanity left in them?”

Sonam Wangchuk hunger strike LIVE: Veteran actor Zeenat Aman appealed to the Centre on Tuesday to open a dialogue with Wangchuk, saying India should not “sit back and watch one of its greatest minds be sacrificed”.

In a post on Instagram, she said the government must have "peaceful" talks with Wangchuk as it concerns the "future of all India".

"We must not become a society that sits back and watches one of its greatest minds be sacrificed. India has a long history of peaceful protest; those who wield power are obliged to meet such protest with peaceful dialogue," she wrote.

"With respect to Mr. Wangchuk's wishes, I implore the Indian government to open dialogue on this matter that concerns the future of all India," she added.

Sonam Wangchuk hunger strike LIVE: Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Monday backed the protest of CJP and climate activist Sonam Wangchuk in Delhi over alleged irregularities in NEET exams, saying parties should support the stir without bringing in their political affiliations.

"Today, I announce my complete support to the protest of (CJP founder) Abhijit Dipke and Sonam Wangchuk," he said.

Sonam Wangchuk hunger strike LIVE: CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke, who has been sharing regular updates about Wangchuk's health, said in a social media post on Wednesday that the activist has “received nothing but silence from the government” over his hunger strike. He also called the government “cruel”.

“The man who chose to put his own life on the line to seek justice for students who died by suicide has received nothing but silence from the govt. The govt is not just unaccountable; it is also cruel,” the X post read.

Sonam Wangchuk hunger strike LIVE: Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday spoke to climate activist Sonam Wangchuk and appealed to him to call off his fast during the ongoing protest by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) at Jantar Mantar.

Yadav said he had called the Ladakh activist to enquire about his condition and extended the party's "open support" to Wangchuk's satyagraha. He urged Wangchuk to heed the appeals coming from across the country and the world, and to pause the protest for a few days to recover.

Sonam Wangchuk hunger strike LIVE: Soni Razdan, actor Alia Bhatt's mother urged Wangchuk to end his hunger strike on Wednesday.

In a post on Instagram, she wrote: “Dear Sonam Wangchuk, For your health we all do pray, please do not leave us in this way, please live to fight another day. Please stay. Please end your fast today.”

Sonam Wangchuk hunger strike LIVE: Wangchuk is not the only one on hunger strike at the protest spearheaded by CJP, founded by Abhijeet Dipke.

Student activists have also been on a parallel hunger strike for the same duration. At least four of them are from the All India Students Association (AISA).

One of them had to be hospitalised on Monday due to hypovolemic shock, an emergency caused by severe blood or fluid loss that can affect the heart. Identified as Deepak, he was discharged from the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital on Tuesday.

According to a statement released by AISA, Deepak's heartbeat fluctuated while he was under observation, following which doctors conducted medical tests. His ECG was normal, and his pulse rate stabilised before discharge.

Sonam Wangchuk hunger strike LIVE: Activist Sonam Wangchuk's hunger strike at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi ended day 18 on Wednesday.

Wangchuk and the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) continue to demand the resignation of Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged irregularities in the NEET (UG) 2026 exam and other exams.