NEW DELHI: Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk’s indefinite hunger strike entered its second day on Monday at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, where the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) has been staging a protest since June 20, demanding the resignation of Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged irregularities in examinations.CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke alleged that Delhi Police refused permission to install a portable toilet for Sonam Wangchuk, who is observing an indefinite fast at the protest site.He also alleged that the public toilets at the protest venue had no water supply.Sharing a photograph on X, Dipke said that a person had travelled from Bihar on a general train ticket to participate in the protest at Jantar Mantar, highlighting what he described as growing public support for the agitation.Sonam Wangchuk began his indefinite hunger strike on Sunday amid the ongoing CJP protest.Hundreds of protesters, mostly students and young people, gathered at Jantar Mantar to support Wangchuk. Several farmer leaders also joined the demonstration, which began with a two-minute silence.Before launching his fast, Wangchuk, accompanied by Abhijeet Dipke, visited Rajghat to pay tributes to Mahatma Gandhi.On Sunday morning, Dipke claimed in a post on X that several farmer leaders from Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab had been placed under house arrest to prevent them from reaching Jantar Mantar for the demonstration.The Cockroach Janata Party launched its protest at Jantar Mantar on June 20, demanding the resignation Dharmendra Pradhan over the alleged examination irregularities.The agitation has drawn support from students, farmers and members of civil society, many of whom have joined the demonstrations at Jantar Mantar.
