ISLAMABAD: Indian activist Sonam Wangchuk has ended his 26-day hunger strike after what he described as lengthy negotiations, while anti-government protests demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan continue across India.
In a post on X late Thursday, the 59-year-old activist said he decided to end his fast "after a long negotiation on various conditions and in view of possible violence in the country." He said he would explain the conditions behind his decision in a separate video.
Wangchuk had been on a hunger strike since June 28 in support of the youth-led Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which is demanding Pradhan's resignation over a series of examination paper leaks, including the medical college entrance test that forced millions of students to retake the exam.
His announcement came shortly after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi released a video message on X, pledging tougher legislation to curb examination paper leaks.
Modi said his government was preparing legal measures to speed up court proceedings against those involved in the leaks and that the issue would be taken up by the federal cabinet on Friday. Describing the leaks as "a matter of great pain" for hundreds of thousands of students, the prime minister did not address the opposition's demand for Pradhan's resignation.
Despite Wangchuk ending his fast, protests led by the CJP continued at New Delhi's Jantar Mantar and in several other cities, with demonstrators vowing to maintain pressure on the government until the education minister steps down.
The demonstrations have emerged as one of the most significant public challenges to Modi's government since he secured a third consecutive term in the 2024 general elections.
The protest movement intensified earlier this week after police used tear gas and batons to disperse demonstrators attempting to march toward parliament.
Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have criticized the Indian authorities over what they described as the excessive use of force against protesters and the suspension of mobile internet services around the Jantar Mantar protest site.
Reacting to Wangchuk's decision, CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke said he was relieved that the activist had ended his hunger strike but stressed that the movement would continue.
"Our peaceful protest at Jantar Mantar will continue until Dharmendra Pradhan resigns," Dipke said in a post on X.
