CJP protest: Abhijeet Dipke calls off hunger strike after Sonam Wangchuk's request

Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke on Monday ended his indefinite hunger strike following an appeal from activist Sonam Wangchuk, who remains admitted to Safdarjung Hospital after his own 21-day fast led to medical intervention.

Dipke had launched the fast on July 18 in solidarity with Wangchuk after the activist was hospitalised during his protest demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and wider examination reforms.

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The development came as the CJP stepped up its agitation against the Centre, with party leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka leaving to meet Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda after the government reached out for talks.

"It's 11:52 AM. Ashutosh Ranka and I, on behalf of the Cockroach Janata Party, are on our way to meet J.P. Nadda. The government had reached out for talks in the morning. Our demands are clear. The youth have gathered in huge numbers. We shall win!," Das wrote on X.

Earlier in the day, Das said the party was willing to engage with the government on its long-pending demands for examination reforms, although he added that the outreach had come late and there was still no clarity from the administration. "The ball is in their court," he said.

Meanwhile, Wangchuk urged Safdarjung Hospital authorities to discharge him, saying his health parameters had returned to normal and that he wanted to participate in the "Sansad Chalo" march to Parliament led by Dipke and other activists.

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In a note shared on X, Wangchuk wrote, "This is to state that I am feeling very fine today and my health parameters are also showing as quite normal. Hence, I request you to kindly allow me to leave the hospital, even if temporarily, so that I can join the March to the Parliament - Sansad Chalo this morning."

The protest march from Jantar Mantar towards Parliament saw hundreds of demonstrators take to the streets before police used a mild lathi charge to disperse the crowd, citing security restrictions in place during the Monsoon Session of Parliament. The demonstration also caused significant traffic disruptions across parts of central Delhi.

Delhi Police had earlier advised that protests and assemblies of five or more people are prohibited outside designated areas, with Jantar Mantar remaining the only permitted protest site with prior approval.