NEW DELHI: The Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke alleged that basic sanitation facilities at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar protest site had been cut off after climate activist Sonam Wangchuk announced his hunger strike on Sunday.In a post on X, CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke said, “Delhi Police has cut off sanitation facility at Jantar Mantar after Sonam Wangchuk announced his hunger strike. No water connection and hygiene measures. Despite repeated pleas and telling them about Wangchuk ji’s age and health concerns, the Police is not cooperating and we suspect that other such basic facilities too will be cut off. What is the police upto?” Dipke wrote on X.Before joining the fast, Wangchuk and CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke visited Rajghat to pay tribute to Mahatma Gandhi. The protest commenced with a two-minute silence observed by participants.Hundreds of students, youth and supporters gathered at Jantar Mantar as Wangchuk launched the hunger strike. Several farmer leaders also joined the demonstration.Explaining his decision to participate in the protest, Wangchuk said education had remained central to his life for four decades and that he could not ignore concerns being raised by young people.“I have been forced to sit here, I am not doing this happily. I am sitting on a fast in support of both issues. Many people ask me, you were doing a movement in Ladakh, why are you with CJP now. Education, which is the issue here, has been close to my heart for the last 40 years, since I was a student,” he said.“I did engineering, but never took a job because I felt the key to all generations is in education. When some youth raise their voices on issues with the education system, how could I have remained silent? It was natural for me to support them,” Wangchuk added.He said the focus should be on using education to “build children’s lives and give direction to the nation”.Referring to his work in Ladakh, Wangchuk said safeguarding the Himalayas was essential because billions of people depend on water originating from the region.“I wish the government had shown sensitivity, we would not have had to go through this and sit here in such heat,” he said.Wangchuk said peaceful protest remained the only democratic option when accountability was absent.“When there is no accountability, we are forced to take the only way possible in a democracy — peaceful protest, and we will do that,” he said.He also praised young protesters who were observing hunger strikes despite the heat and urged people to participate by observing at least a day-long fast.Wangchuk was released from Jodhpur prison in March 2026 after spending nearly six months in detention under the National Security Act in connection with the Ladakh statehood protest that had turned violent.Earlier, Dipke had appealed to farmers, students and various organisations to support the agitation. On Sunday morning, he alleged in a post on X that several farmer leaders from Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab had been placed under house arrest to prevent them from reaching Jantar Mantar.The protest also highlighted other issues related to students and educational institutions. The family of Amaira, a Class 6 student who died last year after falling from the fourth floor of Neerja Modi School in Jaipur in an alleged suicide case, joined the demonstration seeking justice.Amaira’s parents alleged that no action had been taken against the school or a teacher and claimed that police had not yet filed a chargesheet.“We send our children to school with some trust. It was not negligence, it was murder by the school. She was very kind and spread goodness in the world. Today would have been her 10th birthday,” her mother said.Dipke said the case should remain in public memory and alleged that attempts had been made to suppress the matter when it first came to light.He further alleged that the issue was not isolated and that several similar incidents involving students had occurred.Representatives of the Sarv Khap Panchayat also attended the protest. Khap leaders tied a pagdi on Dipke, with coordinator Omprakash Dhankar describing it as a symbolic transfer of responsibility.“This pagdi is a responsibility. With this, we are handing over the responsibility to him,” Dhankar said.Khap representatives alleged that around 500 farmer leaders and members of various organisations had been prevented from travelling to Delhi. Dipke had earlier made a similar claim.Farmer leader Akshay Kumar from Odisha, Pradhan’s home state, said the Union minister would face political consequences if he did not step down.“If Pradhan does not resign, he will be defeated in the next polls,” he said.Pradhan is the Lok Sabha MP from Odisha’s Sambalpur constituency.Farmer leader Attar Singh Kadian also criticised the BJP, alleging that the party was incapable of governing and should resign from power.Dhankar accused the BJP of failing to fulfil promises made to voters before coming to power.The CJP protest began at Jantar Mantar on June 20 over allegations of irregularities in the examination system, including NEET. Protesters have been demanding accountability and action from the government.( With Agency Inputs)
