Protests are continuing in Delhi against alleged irregularities in the NEET undergraduate examination, with demonstrators also demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The agitation is being held at Jantar Mantar.
Ladakh-based social activist Sonam Wangchuk extended support to the protest and began a hunger strike after arriving at the venue on June 28. As his health deteriorated, police removed him from the protest site and admitted him to a hospital, where he continued fasting.
Wangchuk ended his 26-day hunger strike on Wednesday night in the presence of Union ministers J.P. Nadda and Jitendra Singh.
Reacting to the development, his wife Geetanjali Angmo said Wangchuk has sought an assurance from the Central government that protesters will not face legal or physical harm, noting that protesting is a constitutional right. She said the participants have been demonstrating peacefully with resolve and patience.
Angmo alleged that “evil forces” were attempting to exploit the situation to push their own interests and spoil the protest, and called for a proper inquiry to identify such elements. She also thanked the Central government for approaching student protests in a dignified manner.
