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Sonam Wangchuk loses over 7 kg of weight after 10 days of hunger strike, claims CJP
The protest is centred on demands for Union Education Minister Pradhan's resignation and greater government accountability over alleged exam-related lapses.
Educator and climate activist Sonam Wangchuk's health has deteriorated further on Wednesday as he entered the 10th day of his indefinite fast at Delhi's Jantar Mantar, where he is supporting the Cockroach Janta Party's (CJP) protest, which began protest on June 20 over alleged examination irregularities.
Doctors monitoring his condition said he has now lost more than seven kilograms since beginning the hunger strike.
The Cockroach Janta Party has been pressing for Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation, alleging that repeated examination irregularities and paper leaks have severely affected students and their families.
The National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (Undergraduate), or NEET-UG, for admission to medical colleges held on May 3 was cancelled over allegations of paper leak. A re-test was held on June 21.
Weight drops to 59.40 kg
Wangchuk now weighs 59.40 kilograms, taking his total weight loss to more than seven kilograms since the fast began, as per a health bulletin issued by the doctor on Cockroach Janta Party's X handle on Wednesday morning.
Doctors recorded his blood pressure at 103/68 mm Hg while sitting and 111/73 mm Hg while lying down. His heart rate stood at 74 beats per minute, blood glucose level at 75 mg/dL and oxygen saturation at 98 per cent.
Delhi High Court restores CJP's X account
In a big relief for the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), the Delhi High Court on Tuesday ordered the unblocking of the outfit's X account. The order was passed by Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma, after Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, told the court why the account was blocked.
Mehta said that the step was taken in light of the NEET re-exam as certain posts “could have created chaos” among students and parents. He later said that since the exam is now over, the concerns no longer remain.
Taking the submissions into account, Justice Sharma ordered the restoration of the X account and said that “the primary concern underlying the blocking order was no longer relevant”. The NEET re-exam took place on June 21, weeks after the earlier examination was cancelled after paper leak was found.
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"Since NEET is already over, the primary concern is no longer of any relevance. In these circumstances, the order is revoked. The petition is allowed," Justice Sharma ordered.
Why was the CJP's X account withheld?
The Cockroach Janta Party began as a satire outfit but gained significant attention among young people following the cancellation of the NEET examination, which had sparked widespread outrage among aspirants and their parents.
As the party's social media presence grew, its X account was withheld in India in May.
According to X, such action is taken if the platform receives a “valid and properly scoped request from an authorized entity” and when “it may be necessary to withhold access to certain content in a particular country from time to time.”
Following the restriction, the organisation launched a new X account titled 'Cockroach Is Back', which it continues to use for sharing updates related to the ongoing protest.
