Ministers and MPs Urge Sonam Wangchuk to End Hunger Strike

Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda and Minister of State Jitendra Singh visited activist Sonam Wangchuk at Medanta Hospital in Gurugram on July 22, 2026. The visit followed a Delhi High Court order mandating Wangchuk's immediate transfer from Safdarjung Hospital to ensure specialized care for pancytopenia. During the meeting, the ministers informed Wangchuk that the government would initiate a parliamentary debate on education reforms and urged him to advise students to trust the government process.

Wangchuk began his indefinite hunger strike on June 28 during a Cockroach Janata Party-led agitation at Jantar Mantar, demanding education reforms and the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. By July 22, the fast had reached 25 days. A delegation of opposition MPs from the Congress, TMC, and CPI(M) also planned to visit Wangchuk to urge him to end his fast, promising to raise issues of education accountability during the Monsoon Session of Parliament.

Simultaneously, the Cockroach Janata Party appealed for Wangchuk to break his strike due to life-threatening health risks, though the party maintained that peaceful protests at Jantar Mantar would continue. The group declined an invitation from J.P. Nadda to meet at his residence, insisting government representatives visit the protest site. The Delhi High Court has scheduled a hearing for a Public Interest Litigation regarding police misconduct and excessive force used during a July 18 protest that led to Wangchuk's initial hospitalization.