Guwahati: Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke called off his hunger strike on Monday after hospitalised climate activist Sonam Wangchuk sent a message asking him to continue the movement without fasting.
Dipke ended his fast by drinking juice after Wangchuk’s wife, educator Gitanjali Angmo, addressed supporters at Jantar Mantar and conveyed his appeal. She said Wangchuk wanted Dipke to conserve his strength so he could remain actively involved in the protest.
After breaking his fast, Dipke joined the march towards Parliament alongside Angmo. Riya Kumari’s father, whose daughter died by suicide after appearing for NEET, also participated in the procession.
Standing on a slow-moving vehicle during the march, Dipke repeatedly called for Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation through a loudspeaker as thousands of CJP supporters marched with him.
Separately, CJP leader Saurav Das said the organisation had been invited for discussions by the government. In a post on X, he said he and party spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka were travelling to meet Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda after receiving communication for talks earlier in the morning.
Das wrote that the group’s demands remained unchanged and said large numbers of young people had gathered in support of the agitation. The march was temporarily halted while the delegation attended the meeting.
Dipke had begun his fast on Saturday after Delhi Police removed Wangchuk from the protest venue at Jantar Mantar and shifted him to Safdarjung Hospital, citing his deteriorating health and directions issued by the Delhi High Court.
Wangchuk has been observing a 21-day hunger strike as part of the CJP campaign demanding the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged leaks in competitive examinations, including NEET-UG.
Thousands of supporters from different parts of the country assembled in Delhi on Monday to take part in the march towards Parliament on the first day of the Monsoon Session and press for the group’s demands.
Authorities imposed extensive security arrangements ahead of the demonstration. Five Delhi Metro stations were shut as a precaution, while nearly 2,000 paramilitary personnel from 32 companies were deployed with riot-control equipment. Delhi Police also sought an additional 1,400 personnel after the size of the gathering increased.
Before protesters set out for Parliament, CJP spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka addressed the gathering, asking participants to confine the demonstration to three slogans: “Bharat Mata ki Jai”, “Inquilab Zindabad” and “Dharmendra Pradhan istifa do”.
He also appealed to the crowd to remain calm if confronted, reminding them that the agitation had stayed peaceful over the previous 30 days and urging them to uphold that approach during the march.