The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protest at Jantar Mantar has entered its 15th day, with fresh political support pouring in from various leaders. AAP MP Sanjay Singh and CPI(M) MP John Brittas visited the protest site on Saturday, expressing solidarity with the protesters. Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, who has been on a hunger strike for seven days, continued his protest, while AISA said one of its fasting student leaders, Danish Ali, was hospitalized after their condition turned critical.
The organization stated that Ali was admitted to Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital for intravenous fluids, while five other AISA activists continued their indefinite hunger strike along with Wangchuk and other protesters. Sanjay Singh accused the BJP government of ignoring students despite repeated examination controversies and questioned why BJP leaders had not visited the protest site. He also appealed to Delhi Police not to use force on the students.
CPI(M) MP John Brittas described the agitation as a nationwide struggle to protect the future of young people, alleging that the country had never seen such an insensitive and irresponsible government. The CJP also released an open letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to break his silence over the agitation and hold Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan accountable for alleged examination paper leaks and student suicides. The letter also reiterated allegations that Delhi Police assaulted students and threw books, including those on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, B.R.
Ambedkar, and Bhagat Singh, during an attempt to set up a library at the protest site. The protest has received support from various political leaders and civil society members, including the Samyukta Kisan Morcha, which announced that a delegation would visit Jantar Mantar on Sunday. The SKM expressed wholehearted solidarity with the protest, describing the struggle of students and youth as inseparable from that of farmers, and urged the government to begin action by securing Pradhan’s resignation.
The protest, which began on June 20 over alleged irregularities in examinations including NEET, has drawn support from a wide cross-section of political leaders and civil society members. Sonam Wangchuk again stressed the need for accountability, saying that if the protesters were forcefully removed, it would be a blot on India internationally that peaceful protesters were removed. CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke earlier said Mr. Wangchuk had lost five kilograms and that his condition was worsening with each passing day.
He questioned how much longer the Prime Minister would wait before sacking Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, adding that if anything happened to Mr. Wangchuk, the government would be responsible.
