'Won't end my fast': Sonam Wangchuk ties protest to NEET students' demand for Parliament hearing
Activist Sonam Wangchuk on Monday announced that he would continue his indefinite fast until youth leaders protesting over the alleged NEET-UG paper leak are allowed to meet Members of Parliament inside Parliament or lawmakers visit him at the Delhi hospital where he is undergoing treatment.
The announcement came through a handwritten note shared on social media by his wife, Gitanjali Angmo, as Wangchuk entered the 23rd day of his fast.
'Will continue my fast': Wangchuk
In his message, Wangchuk expressed solidarity with protesters affiliated with the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), a satirical political collective demanding accountability over the alleged NEET-UG paper leak.
"I will continue my fast (day 23). Seeing the brutality with which peacefully protesting youth are being dealt with, I have decided to continue my fast until the youth leaders are allowed to meet the Parliamentarians at the Sansad Bhawan or I am allowed to meet them here at the hospital," he wrote.
He also urged the Centre to fix accountability for the alleged examination irregularities.
"Hopefully the government will fix the accountability of the education minister before that. I am touched and moved by how the youth have held on to peace despite provocation and I appeal to the government and the police to resolve the issue by simply allowing the students to present their grievances before Parliament today or tomorrow," Wangchuk said.
He further appealed to the protesters to remain peaceful, expressing hope that they would continue to show "patience and tolerance."
CJP meets JP Nadda
Wangchuk's statement came hours after Union Health Minister JP Nadda met CJP representatives Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka amid the ongoing protests at Jantar Mantar in central Delhi.
During the meeting, the delegation submitted a list of demands, including fixing accountability for the alleged NEET-UG paper leak.
The Cockroach Janta Party, which began as a political satire initiative on social media, was founded by Abhijeet Dipke, a public relations graduate from Boston University who previously worked with the Aam Aadmi Party's social media team.
Meanwhile, the Delhi Police urged the public to remain cautious about misinformation circulating on social media regarding the protests.
Delhi High Court seeks complete medical records
Earlier in the day, the Delhi High Court sought Wangchuk's complete medical records while hearing an appeal filed by his wife challenging a single judge's refusal to permit his discharge from Safdarjung Hospital and transfer to Medanta Hospital.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia observed that pathology reports alone cannot determine a patient's health and must always be assessed alongside the patient's overall clinical condition.
The court directed Safdarjung Hospital to file an affidavit placing on record all pathology reports prepared by the hospital, AIIMS and the private laboratory, along with all health bulletins issued regarding Wangchuk's medical condition.
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