Banners, slogans and swelling crowds transformed Jantar Mantar into a packed protest camp on Sunday (July 19, 2026), as Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke’s call for a night vigil drew a massive response ahead of its proposed “Chalo Sansad” march on Monday (July 20).

Amid the swelling crowds, Sonam Wangchuk’s wife, Gitanjali J. Angmo, announced that the activist would end his hunger strike on Monday (July 20) if political leaders met him at Safdarjung Hospital and assured him that the issue of education accountability would be the focus of the Monsoon Session of Parliament.

Crowds continued to pour into the CJP’s protest site at Jantar Mantar through the day as preparations gathered pace for Monday’s march to Parliament.

CJP chief spokesperson Saurav Das claimed that nearly 20,000 people were “at and around Jantar Mantar” even before the scheduled mobilisation.

In a post on X, Mr. Das said, “20,000 people are at and around Jantar Mantar. And it’s not even July 20 yet. Dharmendra Pradhan — your day of reckoning is in New Delhi.” The protest also drew support from several political leaders and public figures.

Actors Shabana Azmi and Prakash Raj visited Jantar Mantar, joining Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra, CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat and AAP leaders Manish Sisodia, Saurabh Bharadwaj, Sanjay Singh and Gopal Rai in expressing solidarity with the agitation.

“July 20 will be a historic day. The Centre will have to bow down,” Bharadwaj said. On whether AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal would join the protest, he said he had no information. Mr. Rai condemned Mr. Wangchuk’s forcible removal from the protest site and urged supporters to keep Monday’s march peaceful.

Addressing the gathering, Azmi reiterated her support for Mr. Wangchuk and the CJP, saying she had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging him to initiate dialogue with the protesters. Prakash Raj raised slogans of “Jai Bhim” and said he would stay overnight at the protest site before joining Monday’s march.

CJP members shared photographs and videos on social media showing the protest site packed with supporters, claiming people from different parts of the country had begun arriving for Monday’s mobilisation.

Addressing supporters through a video message, Mr. Dipke urged them to remain at Jantar Mantar through the night, saying their presence was essential to ensure the Parliament march proceeded peacefully.

“Our protest is going on. Please come here in large numbers. Stay here for the night. If you don’t come, they will try to end the protest,” he said.

Appealing for restraint, Mr. Dipke said, “Our protest and march will be peaceful. I request everyone to follow the rules and follow the guidelines.” He also asserted that Mr. Wangchuk’s indefinite hunger strike was continuing at Safdarjung Hospital despite his removal from the protest site by police early Saturday.

“As you saw, they took away Sonam sir forcefully, but his hunger strike is continuing in the hospital,” Mr. Dipke said.

In a significant announcement, Mr. Wangchuk’s wife, Ms. Angmo, while addressing supporters at Jantar Mantar, said, “If political leaders meet Sonam in the hospital and assure him that they will raise the issue of education accountability during the Parliament session, he will end his hunger strike tomorrow,” Ms. Angmo said.

She also conveyed Mr. Wangchuk’s appeal to supporters ahead of the proposed march, urging them to maintain peace and discipline.

Earlier in the day, Mr. Wangchuk issued a message from Safdarjung Hospital through Ms. Angmo, describing Monday’s mobilisation as “India’s second freedom movement” and calling for “freedom from injustice” over alleged paper leaks and “freedom from fear” over what he termed his “illegal detention”.

He appealed to people to make the Parliament march a success. The CJP also expressed apprehension over possible police action ahead of Monday’s (July 20) march.

In posts on X, the outfit urged supporters to reach Jantar Mantar immediately, claimed tear-gas equipment had been brought to the area and alleged that anti-social elements could attempt to infiltrate the gathering to provoke disturbances.

The CJP appealed to protesters not to respond to any provocation and to ensure the march remained peaceful. At the nearby AISA protest site, hunger strikers Neha, Manish and Aameen continued their indefinite fast.

Neha alleged that police had attempted three to four times on Sunday to remove them, but students and supporters formed a human chain to prevent it.

“Today is the 22nd day of our hunger strike. Since morning, police personnel have come three to four times to pick us up. The students and young people present at Jantar Mantar have formed a human chain to protect us,” she said, urging more people to join the protest.

Following Mr. Wangchuk’s removal from the protest site early Saturday, Mr. Dipke began his own indefinite hunger strike.

Entering its second day on Sunday, the CJP founder said he had now understood the physical toll of a prolonged fast and appealed to people to strengthen the movement by joining Monday’s Parliament march in large numbers.

The CJP has been protesting at Jantar Mantar since June 20, demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged irregularities in the NEET examination, reforms in the examination system and justice for affected students.

The outfit has called for a “Chalo Sansad” march to Parliament on Monday (July 20), the opening day of the Monsoon Session.

Published – July 20, 2026 02:23 am IST

Activist Sonam Wangchuk being attended to by medical professionals during his hunger strike at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on July 15, 2026.
| Photo Credit: Shashi Shekhar Kashyap

Srinagar:

As his hunger strike to press for statehood for Ladakh and the protection of the fragile Himalayan ecology entered its 21st day on Tuesday, noted climate activist and education reformer Sonam Wangchuk has urged the Union government to exhibit statesmanship and meet the people’s demands. 

In a video posted on X, a smiling Mr Wangchuk said he is surviving on water and salt and 350 people have joined him in the fast despite temperatures dropping to -10 degrees Celsius. 

Pointing to a frozen glass of water to highlight the conditions amid which the protest is being held outdoors, Mr Wangchuk said, “We are trying to remind and awaken the consciousness of our Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi and Home Minister Mr Amit Shah to safeguard the fragile ecosystem of the Himalayan mountains in Ladakh and the unique indigenous tribal cultures that thrive here.”

“We do not want to think of PM Modi and Amit Shah ji as just politicians, we would rather like to think of them as statesmen, but for that they will have to show some character and farsightedness,” he added.

Giving a few definitions of what a statesman is, the education reformer went on to urge people to cast their ballot “very carefully” in the upcoming elections “in the interest of the nation”. The Union Territory, which has one Lok Sabha seat, will vote on May 20.

Mr Wangchuk began his hunger strike on March 6, after talks between the Union government and representatives of Ladakh failed. 

Demands

The region, consisting of the Leh and Kargil districts, was carved out as a separate Union Territory after the bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir and the scrapping of Article 370, which gave it special status, in August 2019. Within a year, Ladakhis felt a political vacuum in the Union Territory, which is run by a Lt Governor. 

Massive protests and hunger strikes began taking place earlier this year after leaders of Buddhist-dominated Leh and Muslim-dominated Kargil joined hands under the banners of the Apex Body of Leh and the Kargil Democratic Alliance to demand statehood and the safeguarding of rights of its majority tribal population under the sixth schedule of the Constitution

While the Centre constituted a high-level committee to look into the demands, a series of meetings with representatives of the protesters failed to find a resolution. On March 4, leaders from Ladakh met Home Minister Amit Shah and said he had refused to accept their demands. Mr Wangchuk began his fast in Leh two days later.

‘Struggle To Continue’

Kargil has also seen protests and a hunger strike, which began on Sunday, saw the participation of hundreds of people, including the Chief Executive Councillor and councillors of the Kargil Autonomous Hill Council.

“We are just asking for our rights. We will continue our united struggle for statehood and inclusion in the sixth schedule of the Constitution” said Sajjad Kargili, a prominent leader of the Kargil Democratic Alliance.