In an emotional outpouring on Friday, Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke said, “I don't want to say this, but Sonam Wangchuk is on his deathbed.”
Dipke, who is sharing the stage with the climate activist since he began his indefinite hunger strike at Jantar Mantar on June 28, said this in a video released by the CJP. The hunger strike by Wangchuk, who has been demanding Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation over a series of examination paper leaks, including NEET, has entered Day 20 with doctors warning that his deteriorating condition could lead to organ failure.
Doctors warned that the next phase of Wangchuk’s hunger strike could be alarming and may affect his organs. But for Wangchuk, ending the fast without any response from the government would send the wrong message.
In the video, Dipke said Wangchuk had become so frail that “his bones are visible”. He also claimed that the activist narrowly escaped falling twice while walking to the washroom on Thursday. Videos on social media the same day seemed to underscore his deteriorating condition. A frail looking Wangchuk was seen stepping down from the stage with the support of several people, including Dipke, as he made his way to the washroom with faltering steps.
Dipke said he tried to persuade Wangchuk to end his fast on Thursday, only to be firmly rebuffed. “You just shut up. Don’t ask me to stop my hunger strike. Ask why the government is not listening to us,” Wangchuk told him, according to the video shared on the CJP's official YouTube channel.
Will stay alive till July 20, says Wangchuk
Even as those around him appealed to Wangchuk to end his hunger strike, he appeared to be in a jovial mood on Friday, saying he would stay alive until July 20 to march to Parliament and urging the crowd to join the protest in large numbers.
“I will stay alive no matter what until July 20 so that I can march to Parliament with all of you. If our march isn't successful by July 20, I’ll come back as a ghost!” he joked.
Support building up as farmers, celebrities step in
Support for the agitation continues to build with farmer leader Rakesh Tikait reaching Jantar Mantar with around 500 farmers to be part of the agitation and press for Pradhan’s removal over the NEET fiasco.
AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal met Wangchuk at Jantar Mantar on Friday and expressed solidarity with the agitating students. Calling for Pradhan’s resignation, Kejriwal suggested that Wangchuk should be made the country’s education minister. He was accompanied by Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh and other party leaders. Congress leader Pawan Khera and economists Jean Dreze and Reetika Khera also visited the protest site.
Music composer Vishal Dadlani, actors Sonakshi Sinha, Sayaji Shinde and Atul Kulkarni, comedians Vir Das and Kunal Kamra, author Shobhaa De, MNS chief Raj Thackeray and former Congress MP Priya Dutt urged the government to engage with Wangchuk and voiced concern over his deteriorating condition.
Also read: ‘3 Idiots’ not inspired by Sonam Wangchuk: Aamir Khan
Follow us
