Activist Sonam Wangchuk’s indefinite hunger strike at Jantar Mantar entered its 10th day on Tuesday. However, public attention shifted to viral videos of Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke eating food during the protest.
The clips showed Dipke eating kachori, bread pakoda, and noodles. Many social media users questioned why Wangchuk was fasting while other protest leaders were eating.
Dipke rejected the criticism. He said the videos were shared without proper context. According to him, some clips were recorded before Wangchuk joined the protest.
He also said Wangchuk had asked the core organising team not to fast. The reason was to ensure someone remained available to manage the protest and coordinate with authorities.
Dipke expressed concern about Wangchuk’s health. He said he had requested the activist to end the hunger strike. However, Wangchuk decided to continue until action is taken against Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
The protest is linked to demands for accountability over alleged exam paper leaks and calls for Pradhan’s resignation. Dipke said removing the minister would be a victory for students across the country, not just for the protest organisers.