New Delhi: The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has urged activist and engineer Sonam Wangchuk to end his prolonged hunger strike, saying his health should take priority. However, the party made it clear that calling off the fast would not bring an end to the ongoing agitation over the NEET paper leak controversy.
Speaking exclusively to NDTV’s Senior Managing Editor Vishnu Som at Jantar Mantar on Wednesday, CJP spokespersons Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka said the movement would continue until the government accepts their demands.
CJP Sticks to Core Demands
According to Ashutosh Ranka, the party’s primary demands have remained unchanged since the protests began.
The CJP is seeking:
- The resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
- Rs 1 crore compensation for the families of students who allegedly died by suicide following the NEET paper leak controversy.
- A fresh assurance that no “fabricated” legal cases will be filed against protesters who participated in Monday’s Parliament march.
Ranka said the demand regarding legal protection had been added after concerns that peaceful demonstrators could face criminal action.
‘Don’t Target Peaceful Protesters’
Chief spokesperson Saurav Das accused the government of attempting to suppress peaceful demonstrations through legal action.
“This government will go after peaceful protesters as much as it can, which can have a chilling effect. So, we really need the government to agree that they will not proceed against any of these peaceful protesters and organisers of the protest as well,” Das said.
He argued that protecting peaceful protesters was essential to preserving democratic rights.
CJP Questions Extent of Police Injuries
The Delhi Police has stated that more than 118 police personnel were injured during Monday’s clashes with protesters.
Responding to the claim, Das said he had visited hospitals and spoken to doctors, who, according to him, indicated that the overwhelming majority of police personnel had sustained only minor injuries.
“See, I think compared to the brutality suffered by the students, the policemen are all wearing big bandages for very small wounds. I personally went to the hospitals. I checked on the protesters, but I also enquired from the doctors about the injuries of the policemen, which we don’t want. We are all for peaceful protests,” he said.
He further claimed:
“The doctors did tell me that most of the policemen — they used the numbers 98%, 99% — have soft tissue injuries, which happen just when you are pushing around (in a crowd). It is natural that in a protest as big as this one, as historic as this one, you would see something like that. But the internet is flooded with the kind of brutality, the draconian manner in which protesters’ heads and legs were broken, women protesters were molested, and children were slapped and kicked.”
These allegations have not been independently verified. The Delhi Police has maintained that its personnel were injured during the violence.
Claims of Excessive Force Against Protesters
When asked about reports that many protesters had already been discharged from hospitals, Das and Ranka pointed to demonstrators present at Jantar Mantar who they said had suffered head and leg injuries.
The CJP maintained that the Parliament march was largely peaceful and alleged that violence broke out only after police intervened.
Welcomes Support From Other Political Parties
Responding to questions about opposition parties, including the Congress, joining the campaign against the NEET controversy, Ranka said the movement welcomed support from all organisations raising issues affecting students.
“I think this is not a competition. Every political party, every organisation that picks up the issues of the youth of this country, speaks about this education system, or asks for Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation, is more than welcome to do so. If you start doing things together, the impact will be much more. But if organisations are doing things in their own capacity, they are welcome to do that as well. At the end of the day, you have to talk about the youth of this country, and that’s all that matters.”
Das also dismissed speculation about any political understanding between the CJP and opposition parties.
“There have been no talks with the Centre after the first meeting with Health Minister JP Nadda (on Monday). So, you know, the ball is in the government’s court. We are bothered only with that and not with whatever mudslinging is happening outside of Jantar Mantar and our movement,” he said.
Sonam Wangchuk May End Fast
Sonam Wangchuk, who has been on a hunger strike since June 28 in support of the student movement, wrote to the Centre on Wednesday saying he would end his fast if the government assured that protesters involved in Monday’s Parliament march would not face punitive legal action.
The CJP welcomed that possibility, saying Wangchuk’s health was a matter of concern.
“We all respect Sonamji and he has gone through a lot. I have lost count of the number of days he’s been on a hunger strike. We want sir to end the fast because we are concerned about his health. We have told him we will take this movement forward,” Das said.
However, he stressed that Wangchuk ending his fast would not signal the end of the campaign.
“We will continue with our protests here till we get Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation and till our demands are met. People from all over the country have joined us. They look up to this movement as their only hope, and we can’t let them down,” he asserted.
The NEET paper leak controversy continues to dominate the national political discourse, with student groups demanding accountability and reforms, while opposition parties intensify pressure on the Centre over the handling of the examination process.