Sonam Wangchuk ends hunger strike as Union Minister JP Nadda meets protestors

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, Jul 20, 2026: Sonam Wangchuk ended his 23-day-long hunger strike on Monday as Union Minister JP Nadda met the protestors. Wangchuk was shifted to Safdarjung Hospital on July 18 following concerns over his deteriorating health, including dehydration, low potassium levels and rising ketone levels.

After the meeting, Nadda said talks between the government and the protesters were held in a “cordial atmosphere" after the protesters approached the centre seeking dialogue. Sharing details of the meeting on X, Nadda said discussions began earlier in the day and continued for several hours.

In a post on X, Nadda said the first proposal for dialogue came from the protesters earlier in the day. He said discussions began at around 11:50 am, with an initial verbal exchange followed by a detailed meeting with the delegation.

According to the minister, the protesters later submitted a written petition to him at around 4 pm.

“This morning, for the first time, a proposal came from the protesters to hold talks with the government, and our discussions have been ongoing since 11:50 AM. The meeting took place in a cordial atmosphere. An initial verbal discussion was held in detail with their delegation, and they submitted a written petition to me around 4 PM," Nadda said.

He added that he had requested the protesters to end their sit-in and cooperate with the administration in restoring normalcy.

Earlier in the day, Abhijeet Dipke, founder of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), also ended his indefinite hunger strike after being persuaded by the father of a NEET aspirant who allegedly died by suicide.

Dipke had begun his fast on July 18 after Sonam Wangchuk was shifted to Safdarjung Hospital. He called off the protest following Wangchuk’s appeal and the intervention of the bereaved father, while reiterating that the movement for education reforms would continue.

This came as thousands of students, youth groups and supporters gathered at Jantar Mantar before marching towards Parliament as part of the “Chalo Sansad" protest. Security arrangements were tightened in central Delhi in view of the demonstration.

On Sunday, Sonam Wangchuk had said he would end his indefinite hunger strike only if the Centre accepted responsibility for recent failures in the education system, including alleged examination paper leaks, or if members of Parliament assured him that the issue of education accountability would be raised during the Monsoon Session beginning Monday.