NEW DELHI: India’s youth-led Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has announced a nationwide hunger strike on Thursday in a fresh challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over examination irregularities.
The announcement came as climate activist Sonam Wangchuk’s indefinite hunger strike entered its 18th day and the CJP’s sit-in protest at New Delhi’s Jantar Mantar reached its 25th day.
Jantar Mantar is packed on 25th day of the protest! #Pradhan_Must_Resign pic.twitter.com/93TEmY1MUl
— Cockroach Janta Party (@CJP_for_India) July 15, 2026
The protesters are demanding the resignation of India’s Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over examination irregularities, including the NEET-UG paper leak that affected millions of candidates.
In a statement, the CJP urged people across India to join Thursday’s protest.
“Tomorrow, July 16, join us for a one-day mass hunger strike in solidarity with Sonam Wangchuk and the students of this country. Dharmendra Pradhan must resign,” the party said.
Doctors monitoring Wangchuk have expressed growing concern about Wangchuk’s health.
A big thank you to @BhimArmyChief sir for joining protest today and extending his support to our movement. pic.twitter.com/zav63VCHk3
— Cockroach Janta Party (@CJP_for_India) July 15, 2026
According to Indian media reports, the activist has lost more than 8.9 kilograms since beginning his fast on June 28. He has reportedly started losing muscle mass, is suffering severe pain and his blood pressure has fallen to 105/76.
India Today reported on Wednesday that Wangchuk was in “extremely critical” condition and under round-the-clock medical supervision as his hunger strike entered its 18th consecutive day.
Despite his deteriorating condition, Wangchuk has refused to end his fast, insisting that the government initiate dialogue on the issues raised by protesters.
CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke said Wangchuk was continuing to lose muscle mass and remained in “immense pain”.
Earlier, Dipke said he had spoken with several opposition leaders, including Kejriwal, Mahua Moitra, Rohit Pawar and Uddhav Thackeray, who expressed support for the movement.
छात्रों द्वारा Jaipur में पेपर लीक के विरोध में छात्रों का बड़ा प्रदर्शन देखने को मिला,
प्रदर्शन के दौरान अर्थी निकालकर विरोध जताया गया और भर्ती प्रक्रिया में पारदर्शिता की मांग की गई। pic.twitter.com/ubF3ncNS5w— Cockroach Janta Party (@CJP_for_India) July 15, 2026
Meanwhile, a petition has been filed in the Delhi High Court seeking urgent medical intervention.
According to the petition, Wangchuk’s condition has worsened significantly and he could lose his life within two days if the hunger strike continues.
The petition requests that the court direct authorities to shift him to a government hospital and, if necessary, administer medically supervised nutritional support, including force-feeding, to preserve his life.
The petition argues that such intervention would be justified despite Wangchuk’s refusal because protecting his life is of paramount importance.
The protests have been led by the Cockroach Janta Party, an online youth movement founded by Dipke, a postgraduate student of public policy at Boston University in the United States.
The movement emerged in May after remarks by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, who compared some unemployed young people involved in journalism and activism to “cockroaches” and “parasites”. The comments triggered widespread backlash on social media.
जंतर मंतर पर रोने लगा दिव्यांग यूट्यूबर,😭
बाकी शिक्षा व्यवस्था तो ध्वस्त है ही 🥺 pic.twitter.com/3nWDpK6mpT
— Cockroach Janta Party (@CJP_for_India) July 15, 2026
Dipke said what began as satire rapidly evolved into a youth movement addressing unemployment, examination paper leaks and governance issues.
An AI-generated logo featuring a suit-wearing cockroach became the symbol of the movement, whose name parodies Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
According to Dipke, the CJP now has more than 22 million followers on Instagram, although it does not describe itself as a political party.
“We decided to first take up the issue that concerns the youth,” Dipke told the BBC. “Over the years, we’ve seen so many exams getting cancelled and no one doing anything to fix the system or taking accountability.”
Government data show India’s unemployment rate stood at 3.1% in 2025 among people aged 15 and above, but almost 10% among those aged between 15 and 29. In urban areas, youth unemployment reached 13.6%.
According to the BBC, protesters at Jantar Mantar say repeated examination leaks and limited employment opportunities have fuelled frustration among young Indians.
The protest site includes a memorial displaying photographs of students whose families say they died by suicide after the cancellation of the original NEET examination.
