Indian campaigner calls off 26-day fast in protest of test question scandals

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Indian activist Sonam Wangchuk has ended a 26-day hunger strike demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over a series of examination paper leaks.

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Wangchuk, 59, announced the end of his fast in a post on X late Thursday, saying he took the decision after “a long negotiation on various conditions and in view of possible violence in the country”.

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According to Al Jazeerah on Friday, he said he would explain the conditions surrounding the decision in a separate video.

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Wangchuk had been on hunger strike since June 28 in solidarity with India’s youth-led Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which is demanding Pradhan’s resignation over leaks involving medical college entrance examinations that forced millions of students to retake the test.

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His announcement came shortly after Prime Minister Narendra Modi released a video address on X, “promising tougher measures to tackle examination paper leaks.”

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Modi said the government was working on measures to fast-track court proceedings against those involved in the leaks and that the issue would be discussed by the cabinet on Friday.

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The prime minister described the leaks as a “matter of great pain” for hundreds of thousands of students but did not mention Pradhan.

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Meanwhile, thousands of pro-CJP protesters have continued to rally at New Delhi’s Jantar Mantar protest site and in cities across the country, in what has emerged as one of the biggest challenges to Modi since his re-election for a third term in 2024.

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The Jantar Mantar protests have been marked by bouts of unrest and violence this week. On Monday, demonstrations escalated after police fired tear gas and baton-charged protesters attempting to march to parliament.

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Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have condemned what they described as the Indian government’s “excessive use of force” by police, as well as the suspension of mobile internet services at Jantar Mantar.

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Reacting to Wangchuk’s decision to end his hunger strike, CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke said he was “relieved and grateful that Sonam sir has ended his hunger strike”.

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“Thank you, sir, for your extraordinary courage and sacrifice. By putting your own life on the line, you awakened the conscience of an entire nation. Your life is far too precious to this country,” he posted on X.

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Dipke added: “The Cockroach Janta Party’s peaceful protest at Jantar Mantar will continue until Dharmendra Pradhan resigns.”

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