NEW DELHI: Congress leader Pawan Khera on Friday met activist Sonam Wangchuk and other protesters at Jantar Mantar, where their indefinite hunger strike entered its 20th day, and urged Wangchuk to end his fast, citing concerns over his deteriorating health.
Expressing solidarity with the protesters, Khera accused the Centre of being insensitive to democratic dissent.
“We are all concerned about Sonam Wangchuk’s health. We are dealing with a highly insensitive government that fails to understand the language of democratic protest. When facing such a government, the methods of protest must evolve. Risking one’s life against this government will not yield results,” he told reporters.
Khera said the Congress would continue to back the protesters’ demands while raising concerns over alleged irregularities in the education system through its nationwide “Chhatron Ki Goonj” campaign.
“We have been running a campaign called ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ for quite some time. Our workers are raising these issues across campuses and communities. We are demanding not only the resignation of Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan but also greater transparency in examinations,” he said.
Khera’s visit came a day after the Congress formally extended support to Wangchuk’s agitation. On Thursday, Congress general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal appealed to Wangchuk to call off his indefinite fast, saying the party shared his concerns and would continue pressing for Pradhan’s resignation.
“His concerns are our concerns,” Venugopal said in a post on X, while urging Wangchuk to prioritise his health.
Meanwhile, doctors monitoring Wangchuk said he had lost more than nine kilograms by the 19th day of his fast and warned that the prolonged hunger strike had entered a critical stage, with the risk of affecting vital organs.
In a video message released on Wednesday, Wangchuk ruled out ending the fast despite appeals from political leaders and supporters, saying doing so without any response from the government would send the wrong message.
The Cockroach Janta Party has been staging the protest at Jantar Mantar, demanding Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation over alleged irregularities in the NEET examination. The group has also announced a march to Parliament on July 20, the opening day of the Monsoon Session.
