Indian activist Wangchuk ends 26-day hunger strike over exam paper leaks
Sonam Wangchuk ended his fast after PM Modi promised tougher laws against exam leaks, but the activist still demands the education minister's resignation.
Indian activist Sonam Wangchuk announced late Thursday that he had ended his 26-day hunger strike, which began on June 28, demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over repeated exam paper leaks.
Wangchuk, 59, said on X that he ended the fast "after a long negotiation on various conditions and in view of possible violence in the country." He said he would describe the conditions in a separate video.
The announcement came shortly after Prime Minister Narendra Modi issued a video address on X, saying he would introduce tougher laws to tackle exam paper leaks. Modi said the government was working on measures to fast-track court proceedings against those involved and that the cabinet would discuss the issue on Friday.
In his video, Modi called the leaks "a matter of great pain" for hundreds of thousands of students but did not mention Pradhan.
Wangchuk had been on hunger strike in solidarity with India's youth-led Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which is demanding Pradhan's resignation over medical college entrance test paper leaks that forced millions to retake the exam.
Thousands of CJP supporters continued protests in New Delhi's Jantar Mantar area and across the country, posing one of the biggest challenges for Modi since his 2024 re-election for a third term. CJP, which has millions of followers on social media, said on Thursday it would press ahead with its fight "to fix the system and set accountability."
CJP spokesman Ashutosh Ranka said on social media: "This country has seen many announcements of fast-track courts, but this is not the solution to the systemic issues in the education system. Modi should fix the system, remove Dharmendra Pradhan and bring accountability."
