‘His Concerns are Our Concerns’: Congress's Pawan Khera, Several Opposition Leaders Meet Sonam Wangchuk at Jantar Mantar
New Delhi: Amid mounting pressure to show solidarity with the protesting individuals at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, where educator and activist Sonam Wangchuk has been on a hunger strike over the examinations controversy, the Congress on Thursday (July 16) officially extended support to the activist on the 19th day of his fast.
Congress media head and Rajya Sabha MP Pawan Khera visited the protest site, and met Wagchuk, urging him to end his fast. He also met other protesters who joined the Ladakhi educator’s hunger strike.
कांग्रेस के मीडिया और पब्लिसिटी डिपार्टमेंट के चेयरमैन और राज्यसभा सांसद @Pawankhera जी ने सोनम वांगचुक जी और जंतर-मंतर पर भूख हड़ताल कर रहे अन्य प्रदर्शनकारियों से मुलाकात की। pic.twitter.com/lvLfGrgKxr
— Congress (@INCIndia) July 17, 2026
Khera’s visit comes after Congress general secretary K.C. Venugopal posted on X about Wangchuk’s hunger strike demanding the resignation of the Union education minister.
He wrote, “The Indian National Congress has been making this very demand for over a month and a half. 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.”
“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,” he added.
Until Thursday, while several Congress leaders had individually expressed support, spoken on the NEET paper leak issue, and demanded accountability from the government, the party itself had remained silent, issuing no statement of collective solidarity towards the protest at Jantar Mantar.
The party did not mention the Cockroach Janta Party in its latest statements. However, Khera urged the protesters to not risk their lives for the government, saying it “will not achieve anything”.
Speaking to reporters, Khera said, “As you saw yesterday, our organisation's General Secretary, K.C. Venugopal, also posted on ‘X’. We are all concerned about Sonam Wangchuk's health, and there is a very insensitive government in power that does not understand the language of democratic protest. In the face of such a government, the method of protest should keep evolving. We are concerned about his health and also about the students sitting with him. By putting your lives at risk, you will not be able to achieve anything from this government.”
The Congress leader also said that the party would be taking up the issue in the monsoon session of the parliament that begins on Monday, July 20.
Other opposition parties extend support
Several other opposition parties have also backed the agitation, including the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Samajwadi Party (SP), Shiv Sena (UBT), Trinamool Congress, Communist Party of India (CPI), CPI(ML)-Liberation, and the Rashtriya Janata Dal, with their delegations meeting with the protesters. Leaders from the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagham have also visited the protest site
AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal also met Wangchuk at Jantar Mantar on Thursday, expressed solidarity with his protest against the alleged paper leaks, demanding resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan.
आज जंतर-मंतर जाकर सोनम वांगचुक जी के संघर्ष का समर्थन किया। उनके हौसले को मेरा सलाम। pic.twitter.com/2txvqOE9Kd
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) July 16, 2026
Addressing the protesters, Kejriwal said that the Union government should listen to the youth, students and Wangchuk. "Every year, exam papers get leaked and youth pay the price. I appeal to the government to listen to students and Wangchuk," the former Delhi chief minister said.
'BJP is rattled'
SP leader Dimple Yadav also visited the CJP protest and met the environmentalist.
Speaking to reporters, she said the decision to end the hunger strike rests with the organisers, but the government must initiate talks with the protesters immediately instead of remaining indifferent. “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 said, as quoted by PTI.
This article went live on July seventeenth, two thousand twenty six, at forty-five minutes past three in the afternoon.The Wire is now on WhatsApp. Follow our channel for sharp analysis and opinions on the latest developments.
