Sonam Wangchuk ends 26-day hunger strike as India protests spread
Activist Sonam Wangchuk ended a 26-day hunger strike on July 24 after talks and appeals to avoid violence, while youth-led protests over exam leaks and alleged police brutality continued across India.
Indian activist Sonam Wangchuk ended a 26-day hunger strike in New Delhi on Friday, July 24, 2026, as a youth-led protest movement over exam paper leaks and alleged police brutality continued to call for demonstrations across the country.
Wangchuk said he stopped the strike after discussions involving two federal ministers and appeals from members of parliament, citing concern about possible violence. He said he would provide more details about the discussions later.
The Cockroach Janta party movement has demanded the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over paper leaks that affected about 2 million students in May. Organisers said protests would continue despite Wangchuk ending his fast.
The movement has grown beyond the exam scandal after protesters alleged police brutality during a march on parliament on Monday, July 20. Demonstrations have spread beyond Delhi to cities including Ranchi, Pune, Thiruvananthapuram and Kolkata, according to local media cited by The Guardian.
Authorities closed 16 Delhi metro stations on Thursday and restricted mobile internet service around the protest area. The measures disrupted travel and digital payments for nearby businesses.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday that special courts would be established to prosecute people behind exam paper leaks and indicated that further measures would be discussed by the cabinet on Friday. Protest organisers said the court proposal did not address why the leaks occurred.
The demonstrations have become one of the largest youth-led challenges to Modi’s government since he took office in 2014, while opposition parties have backed protesters’ demands during parliament’s monsoon session.
