New Delhi: Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), the student-led online satirical movement campaigning for education reforms and action against examination irregularities, suffered a major setback on July 18 after activist and educationist Sonam Wangchuk was removed from the protest site.
Wangchuk was taken to a government hospital after completing 20 days of an indefinite hunger strike in New Delhi. Despite his removal, the group vowed to press ahead with its planned march to Parliament on July 20.
The 59-year-old had been fasting at Jantar Mantar, surviving only on water and salt, while backing the CJP’s campaign against examination paper leaks and other irregularities in India’s education system.
हटाना था धर्मेंद्र प्रधान को,
हटा रहे है सोनम वांगचुक सर और युवाओं को।— Cockroach Janta Party (@CJP_for_India) July 18, 2026
Videos from the protest site showed police and paramilitary personnel removing Wangchuk from the stage early on July 18 morning. Supporters who attempted to stop them were pushed aside before the activist was transported by ambulance to Safdarjung Hospital.
His wife, Gitanjali Angmo, later confirmed on social media that he had been admitted to the hospital and requested that no medication or treatment be administered without the consent of his family and the doctors who had been monitoring his health throughout the fast.
Hospital authorities said Wangchuk was fully alert and in stable condition. According to Dr. Charu Bamba, Medical Superintendent of Safdarjung Hospital, he was weak and mildly dehydrated due to the prolonged hunger strike, but his vital signs remained stable, and he continued to receive medical care.
Despite repeated appeals to end his fast, Wangchuk had insisted he would continue the protest and participate in the planned march to Parliament. Addressing supporters days before being hospitalised, he said that although he had grown physically weak, his resolve remained strong.
Following his removal, Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke began an indefinite hunger strike in Wangchuk’s place and vowed that the march to Parliament would proceed as planned. Dipke said removing Wangchuk would not stop the movement.
The Cockroach Janta Party, launched in May as an online satirical movement, has gained significant attention on social media. Its supporters, who refer to themselves as ‘cockroaches,’ are demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan after a key medical entrance examination was cancelled following a paper leak.
Following police action, the group expanded its demands, calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accusing the government of failing to address students’ concerns.
Several opposition leaders criticised the police action, describing it as an attack on democratic protest and urging the government to engage in dialogue with the demonstrators over their demands for education reforms.
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