Congress leader Pawan Khera on Friday met climate activist Sonam Wangchuk at Jantar Mantar and urged him to end his indefinite hunger strike, citing concerns over his deteriorating health, while accusing the Centre of refusing to engage with demands for education reforms.
Wangchuk has been on a fast demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged examination irregularities, including the NEET paper leak controversy.
After meeting Wangchuk and the protesters, Khera said peaceful protest was a constitutional right and that it was the responsibility of any democratic government to engage with citizens who resort to fasting to make their voices heard.
"In a democracy, peaceful protest is a constitutional right. When citizens undertake a fast to be heard, the duty of the government is to listen -- not look away. That is Raj Dharma," Khera said in a post on X.
The Congress leader contrasted the Centre's response with that of previous governments, saying former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1984 and the UPA government under former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in 2011 had engaged with protesters despite differences.
"That is what Smt. Indira Gandhi Ji did in 1984. That is what Dr. Manmohan Singh's government did in 2011. They understood that a government's first responsibility is engagement, even in disagreement," he said.
Khera alleged that the present government had chosen "indifference" towards demands for education reforms raised by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, the National Students' Union of India (NSUI), the Indian Youth Congress (IYC) and the protesters at Jantar Mantar.
"This government, however, has chosen indifference. It has refused to engage with the demand for education reforms -- whether raised by Shri Rahul Gandhi and the NSUI and IYC workers across the country or the protesters at Jantar Mantar. Such indifference is not merely arrogant; it is callous and wholly unworthy of a democracy," he said.
Appealing to Wangchuk to call off the fast, Khera said preserving the movement's leadership was more important than continuing the hunger strike.
"Today, on behalf of the Congress Party, I met Shri Sonam Wangchuk and the protesters at Jantar Mantar, and urged them to end their fast in light of their deteriorating health. A movement is not strengthened by losing its people. We live to fight another day," he said.
CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke, one of the protest organisers, thanked Khera for extending solidarity.
"I thank Congress MP @Pawankhera ji for visiting Jantar Mantar, expressing his solidarity, and checking on Sonam sir's health. Dharmendra Pradhan Must Resign," he said in a post on X.
Doctors monitoring Wangchuk said his health continued to be under close observation on the 20th day of his hunger strike.
According to medical parameters recorded at 9.30 am on Friday, Wangchuk weighed 56.55 kg, having lost 350 grams in the previous 24 hours. His blood pressure was 108/68 mmHg, blood sugar 70 mg/dL, and pulse rate 72 beats per minute. Doctors noted mild dehydration.
Dr Satish Lamba said Wangchuk had progressed to a stage where organ involvement was possible because of prolonged fasting.
"...It is the 20th day of the hunger strike... The person's weight is 56.55 kg, a reduction of 350 grams over the last 24 hours... Hydration is fair, with mild dehydration observed... The initial stage involved fat loss, followed by muscle loss and the formation of ketone bodies in urine. Now, at this third stage, organ involvement is possible. The medical team is maintaining 24-hour vigilance and continuous monitoring," he told reporters.
Khera's visit comes a day after former Delhi Chief Minister and AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal and Samajwadi Party MP Dimple Yadav met Wangchuk and expressed solidarity with the protesters.
Kejriwal backed the demand for Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation, proposed Wangchuk's name as the next Union Education Minister, and urged the Centre to address the protesters' demands. He also warned that the NDA government could face the same electoral consequences as the UPA II government in 2014 if it ignored public concerns.
On Thursday, the Delhi High Court directed authorities to clinically monitor Wangchuk's health on a daily basis and ensure that any medical intervention recommended by government doctors is provided.
A Division Bench of Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia passed the directions while disposing of a PIL filed by Rakesh Kumar Sahni, who sought the court's intervention over Wangchuk's deteriorating health.
The Bench observed that "the life of every citizen is precious and all efforts ought to be made by the government authorities to save the same."
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre and the Delhi government, informed the court that government doctors were already conducting regular examinations and monitoring Wangchuk's medical parameters daily.
Wangchuk, an engineer, education reformer and climate activist from Ladakh, has been on an indefinite hunger strike at Jantar Mantar demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over nationwide examination irregularities and the NEET paper leak controversy.
(With inputs from ANI)
