Indian activist Sonam Wangchuk ends hunger strike over exam paper leaks

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

In a post on X late on Thursday night, Wangchuk, 59, said he ended his 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.

Wangchuk’s announcement came shortly after Prime Minister Narendra Modi released a video address on X, saying he will bring a tougher law to check paper leaks.

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.

In his video address, Modi called the leaks a “matter of great pain” for hundreds of thousands of students, without mentioning Pradhan.

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

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

The Jantar Mantar site has seen bouts of unrest and violence this week. On Monday, the protests snowballed after police fired tear gas and baton-charged demonstrators as they tried to march to parliament.

Rights groups Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have condemned the Indian government over “excessive use of force” by the police and suspension of mobile internet services at Jantar Mantar.

Reacting to Wangchuk ending his hunger strike, CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke on Thursday night said he was “relieved and grateful that Sonam sir has ended his hunger strike”.

“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.

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