Sonam Wangchuk hunger strike LIVE: Wangchuk vows to 'come back as ghost' if march to Parliament fails

LiveJul 17, 2026, 09:43:26 ISTSonam Wangchuk health live updates: Wangchuk remained firm on continuing the protest. He said ending the fast without any response from the government would send the wrong message. Instead, he urged supporters to strengthen the CJP's proposed Parliament march scheduled for July 20.3 Mins agoAamir Khan says 3 Idiots wasn't inspired by Sonam Wangchuk4 Mins agoAamir Khan urges end to hunger strike25 Mins ago'I'll stay alive till July 20,' says Wangchuk as protest enters Day 2045 Mins agoOver 1,800 civil society members write to Wangchuk, appeal to end fast49 Mins agoWhat Delhi HC said while hearing petition on Jantar Mantar protest1 Hr 1 Mins agoRakesh Tikait meets activist at protest site | In pics1 Hr 5 Mins agoArvind Kejriwal meets Sonam Wangchuk at Jantar Mantar | In photos1 Hr 20 Mins ago'Politics must have room for humanity,' says Omar Abdullah1 Hr 31 Mins agoCongress says demand for Pradhan's resignation will continue1 Hr 43 Mins agoDimple Yadav visits protest site, urges Centre to open dialogue1 Hr 52 Mins agoBJP's Manoj Tiwari links Jantar Mantar protest to AAP7:43 AM IST, July 17Raj Thackeray urges PM Modi to interveneActivist Sonam Wangchuk help by volunteers for his daily medical checkup, as he continues his indefinite hunger strike for the nineteenth consecutive day in solidarity with the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)Sonam Wangchuk health live updates: Educationist and environment activist Sonam Wangchuk's hunger strike demanding Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation over the NEET-UG paper leak entered its 20th day on Friday, with doctors warning that his health has reached a critical stage and could deteriorate further if the fast continues.The warning came as opposition leaders, including former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and Samajwadi Party MP Dimple Yadav, visited Jantar Mantar to express solidarity with Wangchuk and the youth-led protest. Wangchuk refuses to call off fast Despite mounting concerns over his health, Wangchuk remained firm on continuing the protest. He said ending the fast without any response from the government would send the wrong message. Instead, he urged supporters to strengthen the Cockroach Janta Party's proposed Parliament march scheduled for July 20. Wangchuk, along with several students, has been leading the agitation at Jantar Mantar. Student organisations including the Krantikari Yuva Sangathan (KYS), All India Students' Association (AISA) and Students' Federation of India (SFI) are also participating in the protest. Wangchuk health update According to the latest medical bulletin issued by Dr Satish Lamba, Wangchuk has lost more than nine kilograms since beginning his fast on June 28 and now weighs 56.9 kg, reported news agency PTI. "After glucose reserves are exhausted, the body consumes fat. After that, muscles begin to get consumed. His ketone level had reached 3-plus and, after improving hydration, it has come down to 2-plus. His uric acid is high, which indicates that muscles are being consumed," he said. Warning about the next stage of deterioration, the doctor said, “The next stage can be alarming. Organs can be impacted. We are keeping him under 24x7 vigilance and hope it does not reach that stage.” He also appealed for intervention, saying, "I urge the government to intervene as soon as possible because he is a precious gem and we do not want to lose him. If organs get impacted, it can be really alarming for us." Opposition leaders extend support Kejriwal joined the demonstrators on Thursday and reiterated his demand for Pradhan's resignation. He also proposed Wangchuk's name for the post of Union education minister. Addressing the gathering, the AAP chief urged the Centre to respond to the protesters' demands. "Listen to the youth, the movement, and Sonam Wangchuk; otherwise, three years later, you (Central Government) will meet a 2014-like fate," Kejriwal said. Farmer leader Rakesh Tikait, one of the prominent faces of the 2020-21 farmers' agitation, also visited the protest site and extended support to the movement. Congress backs demand The Congress has also backed the demand for Pradhan's resignation while appealing to Wangchuk to call off his hunger strike because of his deteriorating health. Meanwhile, Congress has simultaneously launched its own campaign, 'Chhatron Ki Goonj', led by Rahul Gandhi against alleged examination irregularities across the country. Congress general secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal said in a post on X, "Sonam Wangchuk has now been on a hunger strike for 19 days, demanding the resignation of the Union Education Minister. The Indian National Congress has been making this very demand for over a month and a half." "We share the anguish and outrage that Wangchuk ji feels, especially due to the lack of accountability within the Modi Govt - for the collapse of the examination system in particular," he added. Appealing to Wangchuk to end the fast, Venugopal said, “In view of his health condition, we appeal to Wangchuk to end his fast. His concerns are our concerns and that of other Opposition parties as well. Rest assured, we will continue to confront the Modi government and demand the Education Minister's resignation.” Delhi high court orders daily monitoring Amid concerns over Wangchuk's health, the Delhi high court directed authorities to clinically monitor his condition every day. A division bench of Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia observed that "the life of every citizen is precious and all efforts ought to be made by the government authorities to save the same." The court further directed that any medical intervention recommended by government doctors should be provided without delay. The directions came while disposing of a public interest litigation filed over concerns about Wangchuk's worsening health during the prolonged fast. ...Read MoreThe warning came as opposition leaders, including former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and Samajwadi Party MP Dimple Yadav, visited Jantar Mantar to express solidarity with Wangchuk and the youth-led protest. Wangchuk refuses to call off fast Despite mounting concerns over his health, Wangchuk remained firm on continuing the protest. He said ending the fast without any response from the government would send the wrong message. Instead, he urged supporters to strengthen the Cockroach Janta Party's proposed Parliament march scheduled for July 20. Wangchuk, along with several students, has been leading the agitation at Jantar Mantar. Student organisations including the Krantikari Yuva Sangathan (KYS), All India Students' Association (AISA) and Students' Federation of India (SFI) are also participating in the protest. Wangchuk health update According to the latest medical bulletin issued by Dr Satish Lamba, Wangchuk has lost more than nine kilograms since beginning his fast on June 28 and now weighs 56.9 kg, reported news agency PTI. "After glucose reserves are exhausted, the body consumes fat. After that, muscles begin to get consumed. His ketone level had reached 3-plus and, after improving hydration, it has come down to 2-plus. His uric acid is high, which indicates that muscles are being consumed," he said. Warning about the next stage of deterioration, the doctor said, “The next stage can be alarming. Organs can be impacted. We are keeping him under 24x7 vigilance and hope it does not reach that stage.” He also appealed for intervention, saying, "I urge the government to intervene as soon as possible because he is a precious gem and we do not want to lose him. If organs get impacted, it can be really alarming for us." Opposition leaders extend support Kejriwal joined the demonstrators on Thursday and reiterated his demand for Pradhan's resignation. He also proposed Wangchuk's name for the post of Union education minister. Addressing the gathering, the AAP chief urged the Centre to respond to the protesters' demands. "Listen to the youth, the movement, and Sonam Wangchuk; otherwise, three years later, you (Central Government) will meet a 2014-like fate," Kejriwal said. Farmer leader Rakesh Tikait, one of the prominent faces of the 2020-21 farmers' agitation, also visited the protest site and extended support to the movement. Congress backs demand The Congress has also backed the demand for Pradhan's resignation while appealing to Wangchuk to call off his hunger strike because of his deteriorating health. Meanwhile, Congress has simultaneously launched its own campaign, 'Chhatron Ki Goonj', led by Rahul Gandhi against alleged examination irregularities across the country. Congress general secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal said in a post on X, "Sonam Wangchuk has now been on a hunger strike for 19 days, demanding the resignation of the Union Education Minister. The Indian National Congress has been making this very demand for over a month and a half." "We share the anguish and outrage that Wangchuk ji feels, especially due to the lack of accountability within the Modi Govt - for the collapse of the examination system in particular," he added. Appealing to Wangchuk to end the fast, Venugopal said, “In view of his health condition, we appeal to Wangchuk to end his fast. His concerns are our concerns and that of other Opposition parties as well. Rest assured, we will continue to confront the Modi government and demand the Education Minister's resignation.” Delhi high court orders daily monitoring Amid concerns over Wangchuk's health, the Delhi high court directed authorities to clinically monitor his condition every day. A division bench of Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia observed that "the life of every citizen is precious and all efforts ought to be made by the government authorities to save the same." The court further directed that any medical intervention recommended by government doctors should be provided without delay. The directions came while disposing of a public interest litigation filed over concerns about Wangchuk's worsening health during the prolonged fast. Follow all the updates here:Jul 17, 2026, 09:43:26 ISTSonam Wangchuk hunger strike LIVE: Aamir Khan says 3 Idiots wasn't inspired by Sonam WangchukSonam Wangchuk hunger strike LIVE: Bollywood actor Amir Khan addressed the long-held belief that his character Rancho in the movie 3 Idiots was based on Sonam Wangchuk, saying that this was a misconception.“No, that is not true actually. That is a misconception. I didn’t know about Mr Sonam at that time when we were doing the film, 3 Idiots... However, what Mr Sonam is doing is good work in any case. He doesn’t have to be based on a character of 3 idiots for us to respect him and the work that he does. I wanted to share this from a factual point of view,” the actor said.Jul 17, 2026, 09:42:05 ISTSonam Wangchuk hunger strike LIVE: Aamir Khan urges end to hunger strikeSonam Wangchuk hunger strike LIVE: Actor Aamir Khan has spoken out on Sonam Wangchuk's indefinite hunger strike, saying he is deeply concerned about the activist's health and hopes the fast ends soon.Asked about Wangchuk's deteriorating health during the ongoing hunger strike at Jantar Mantar, Aamir said, “All of us are very concerned for his health and his life. We hope it ends well. All of us are hoping that he ends his fast.”Jul 17, 2026, 09:21:01 ISTSonam Wangchuk hunger strike LIVE: 'I'll stay alive till July 20,' says Wangchuk as protest enters Day 20Sonam Wangchuk hunger strike LIVE: Even as concerns grow over his health, Sonam Wangchuk struck a defiant and humorous note while addressing supporters at Jantar Mantar, vowing to take part in the proposed Parliament march on July 20."I will stay alive by any means until July 20 so that I can march to Parliament with all of you. And if our march doesn't succeed on July 20, then I'll come back as a ghost!" Wangchuk said, drawing cheers from the crowd.The activist, who is on an indefinite hunger strike over the NEET controversy, appeared upbeat despite doctors warning that his health has entered a critical stage. He ended his remarks with a call to supporters: "Let's march to Parliament!"Jul 17, 2026, 09:01:13 ISTSonam Wangchuk hunger strike LIVE: Over 1,800 civil society members write to Wangchuk, appeal to end fastSonam Wangchuk hunger strike LIVE: More than 1,800 members of civil society, including academics, artists and activists, have appealed to Sonam Wangchuk to end his ongoing hunger strike amid growing concerns over his health.In a letter issued on Tuesday, prominent signatories including Naseeruddin Shah, Ratna Pathak Shah, Arundhati Roy, Nivedita Menon, Jean Drèze, Lalita Ramdas and Kavita Srivastava urged the activist to call off his fast while continuing the movement through other means.Jul 17, 2026, 08:56:58 ISTSonam Wangchuk hunger strike LIVE: What Delhi HC said while hearing petition on Jantar Mantar protestSonam Wangchuk hunger strike LIVE: The Delhi High Court on Thursday directed the Centre to ensure that Sonam Wangchuk's health is medically examined every day by government doctors and that timely medical intervention is provided if his condition worsens during his ongoing hunger strike.A bench of Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia said the life of every citizen is precious and authorities must make every possible effort to protect it.“While noticing the assurances given by the solicitor general we observe that life of citizens is precious and all medical attempts must be made by the government authorities to appreciate the same and we direct that medical condition of Sh Wangchuk shall be regularly monitored on daily basis and depending on the opinion of doctors, whatever medical intervention is required be taken, considering his deteriorating condition. The petition is disposed of,” the court said.The directions came while hearing a plea that sought Wangchuk's hospitalisation and medical treatment, citing concerns over his deteriorating health during the prolonged fast. The petitioner claimed the activist had lost around 8.5 kg and warned that his life could be at risk if the hunger strike continued.Jul 17, 2026, 08:45:05 ISTSonam Wangchuk hunger strike LIVE: Rakesh Tikait meets activist at protest site | In picsHT photoSonam Wangchuk hunger strike LIVE: Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait met Sonam Wangchuk at Jantar Mantar on Thursday and expressed support for the ongoing protest over the alleged NEET examination irregularities. Jul 17, 2026, 08:41:26 ISTSonam Wangchuk hunger strike LIVE: Arvind Kejriwal meets Sonam Wangchuk at Jantar Mantar | In photosHT photoSonam Wangchuk hunger strike LIVE: AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal met social activist Sonam Wangchuk at Jantar Mantar on Thursday, as the latter entered the 19th day of his indefinite hunger strike over the alleged NEET examination irregularities.Jul 17, 2026, 08:26:31 ISTSonam Wangchuk hunger strike LIVE: 'Politics must have room for humanity,' says Omar AbdullahSonam Wangchuk hunger strike LIVE: Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday expressed concern over Sonam Wangchuk's deteriorating health and criticised the Centre for not reaching out to the activist, who has been on a hunger strike for 19 days."The Education Minister should either resign or be removed from his post," Abdullah told reporters, reported PTI.Highlighting Wangchuk's health condition, he said the activist had lost around 9 kg during the fast and questioned the government's response."The surprising thing is that it has been 18 days, perhaps the 19th day is going on. He has lost around 9 kgs, and it is affecting his health. But the government is not budging, not appealing to him in any way to stop his hunger strike. Politics has its place, but somewhere there should also be a place for humanity and compassion," Abdullah said.Drawing a comparison with the UPA government's handling of Anna Hazare's anti-corruption movement, Abdullah noted that then prime minister Manmohan Singh had sent ministers to persuade protesters to end their fast and engage in dialogue."But no attempt has been made yet to talk to Wangchuk. We don't know what the government's attitude will be in the coming days, but we are definitely concerned about Wangchuk's health," he added.Jul 17, 2026, 08:14:56 ISTSonam Wangchuk hunger strike LIVE: Congress says demand for Pradhan's resignation will continueSonam Wangchuk hunger strike LIVE: The Congress on Thursday appealed to Sonam Wangchuk to end his indefinite hunger strike, citing concerns over his health, while reiterating its demand for Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation over the NEET controversy.Congress general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal said the party shared Wangchuk's concerns and would continue to press for accountability."Shri Sonam Wangchuk has now been on a hunger strike for 19 days, demanding the resignation of the Union Education Minister. The Indian National Congress has been making this very demand for over a month and a half," Venugopal said in a post on X."We share the anguish and outrage that Shri Wangchuk ji feels, especially due to the lack of accountability within the Modi Govt - for the collapse of the examination system in particular," he added.Appealing to the activist to call off his fast, Venugopal said, "In view of his health condition, we appeal to Shri Wangchuk to end his fast. His concerns are our concerns and that of other Opposition parties as well. Rest assured, we will continue to confront the Modi government and demand the Education Minister's resignation."Meanwhile, Congress has simultaneously launched its own campaign, 'Chhatron Ki Goonj', led by Rahul Gandhi against alleged examination irregularities across the country.Jul 17, 2026, 08:03:32 ISTSonam Wangchuk hunger strike LIVE: Dimple Yadav visits protest site, urges Centre to open dialogueSonam Wangchuk hunger strike LIVE: Samajwadi Party MP Dimple Yadav on Thursday visited the Jantar Mantar protest site and appealed to the Centre to engage with the demonstrators, saying the government should show greater sensitivity towards the concerns being raised."The CJP will decide when to break the fast. I want to tell the government to show some sensitivity and start a dialogue. Stop being insensitive. You talk about Sanatan Dharma. Without mercy and empathy, Sanatan Dharma cannot survive," she told reporters.Yadav also claimed that the BJP was unsettled by the support the movement has received from young people, citing the blocking of the CJP's X handle."The BJP was rattled when the platform got so much support from the youth. If our youths are determined, no one can defeat them. Akhilesh Yadav and the Samajwadi Party stand in solidarity with the youth," she said.Referring to SP chief Akhilesh Yadav's appeal to Wangchuk to end his hunger strike, she said the request was made because the BJP "does not believe in satyagraha"."So many students committed suicide, but not one BJP MP even tweeted a condolence message. It shows how insensitive they are," she said.Jul 17, 2026, 07:54:16 ISTSonam Wangchuk hunger strike LIVE: BJP's Manoj Tiwari links Jantar Mantar protest to AAPSonam Wangchuk hunger strike LIVE: BJP MP Manoj Tiwari on Thursday took a swipe at Sonam Wangchuk's ongoing protest at Jantar Mantar after AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal extended support to the hunger strike.Claiming that the protesters were aligned with the Aam Aadmi Party, Tiwari alleged that the agitation was aimed at hindering the country's development."Sonam Wangchuk and all others (at Jantar Mantar protest) are extension of AAP, collectively they all try to slow down country's progress," Tiwari said, reported PTI.Jul 17, 2026, 07:43:26 ISTSonam Wangchuk hunger strike LIVE: Raj Thackeray urges PM Modi to interveneSonam Wangchuk hunger strike LIVE: MNS chief Raj Thackeray has extended support to Sonam Wangchuk's indefinite hunger strike, expressing concern over the activist's deteriorating health and urging Prime Minister Narendra Modi to step in to address the NEET examination controversy."It is deeply distressing to say this, but it appears the government has decided to sacrifice Sonam Wangchuk, and by extension, the very space for protest in this country. After all, if this government can remain a silent spectator while the treasury of Lord Ram is being looted, what impact could a citizens’ protest possibly have?" Thackeray said.Backing the protesters' demand for accountability, he said, "There is nothing unreasonable in this demand," while alleging that examination-related irregularities had become a recurring feature during the BJP's tenure.In a message addressed to the prime minister, Thackeray said the significance of a long tenure in office lies in taking decisive action on pressing issues. "Currently, there is much celebration over the fact that you have held the office of Prime Minister for a longer period than Pandit Nehru. That’s just a number. It acquires true meaning only if you take a firm stand and decisive action on issues like this. Only then will the next generation remember you. Otherwise, what is the use of a statistic that yields nothing for the country?" he wrote.Home India news Sonam Wangchuk hunger strike LIVE: Wangchuk vows to 'come back as ghost' if march to Parliament fails