NEW DELHI: Activist Sonam Wangchuk‘s indefinite hunger strike entered its 20th consecutive day on Friday, with the education reform campaigner reiterating his resolve to continue the protest and join a planned march to Parliament on July 20.Addressing supporters, Wangchuk struck a defiant yet humorous note despite his deteriorating health.“I will stay alive by any means until July 20 so that I can march to Parliament with all of you. And if our march doesn’t succeed on July 20, then I’ll come back as a ghost!” he said.“Sonam Wangchuk hasn’t lost his sense of humour even during such a difficult time in his life. Let’s march to Parliament!” the Cockroach Janta Party tweeted.Meanwhile, the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which has been spearheading protests over alleged irregularities in the NEET examination, shared Wangchuk’s remarks on social media and posted, “India is awakening!”The protest has also drawn political attention. On Thursday, Leader of Opposition in the Kerala Assembly Pinarayi Vijayan accused the Centre of being indifferent to Wangchuk’s deteriorating health.In a Facebook post, Vijayan said reports about Wangchuk’s condition were worrying and criticised the Centre for refusing to engage with him over the issues he had raised. He alleged that the government was ignoring not only the concerns of students affected by the alleged NEET irregularities but also Wangchuk’s life, claiming that several of the activist’s organs were malfunctioning as he continued to lose weight.Vijayan urged the Centre to intervene before Wangchuk’s condition worsened further.The Cockroach Janta Party has been protesting for over 25 days, demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the alleged irregularities in the NEET examination.Wangchuk joined the agitation on June 28 and has remained on an indefinite fast since then.
