New Delhi: Activist Sonam Wangchuk on Thursday night ended his 26-day hunger strike at Medanta Hospital in Gurugram following discussions with the Centre and after accepting assurances from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Ministers.
Wangchuk broke his fast in the presence of Union Ministers J.P. Nadda and Dr. Jitendra Singh, along with senior leaders of the Apex Body of Leh Ladakh.
Sharing the development on social media platform X, Wangchuk wrote, “Just now in the presence of Union Ministers JP Nadda & Dr. Jitendra Singh and the senior leaders of Apex Body of Leh Ladakh I finally broke my fast after 26 days.”
He said his decision came after prolonged negotiations on various issues and appeals from across the political spectrum. According to Wangchuk, as many as 65 Members of Parliament from different political parties had either visited him or signed letters urging him to end his fast.
“This was done after a long negotiation on various conditions and in view of possible violence in the country. I will explain the conditions in detail in a separate video very soon. Meanwhile, I urge you all to stay very vigilant about not allowing violence of any kind anywhere,” he said.
The development came shortly after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that stricter measures to tackle examination paper leaks would be taken up at the Union Cabinet meeting scheduled for Friday.
In a post on X, the Prime Minister said the government had already initiated stringent action following the paper leak controversy, leading to the arrest and imprisonment of several accused persons. He also noted that re-examinations had been conducted expeditiously for 22 lakh students and that the results had since been declared.
PM Modi further announced that the government was working on legislation providing for fast-track courts and enhanced punishment for those involved in paper leaks. The proposed bill is expected to be finalised after Cabinet deliberations and introduced in Parliament at the earliest.
Following Wangchuk’s decision to end his fast, Prime Minister Modi wished him good health and urged him to follow medical advice. “I urge Sonam ji to follow his routine as per the doctors’ advice and regain his old weight as soon as possible. I pray to the Lord that Sonam ji remains healthy,” the Prime Minister wrote.
CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke also welcomed the development, thanking Wangchuk for his “extraordinary courage and sacrifice.” He, however, said the organisation’s peaceful protest at Jantar Mantar would continue until Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigns.
