Digital Phablet

Tag: Indian politics

  • India’s ‘Cockroach’ Party Starts Hunger Strike as Activist Wangchuk’s Health Declines

    India’s ‘Cockroach’ Party Starts Hunger Strike as Activist Wangchuk’s Health Declines

    Sonam Wangchuk, an influential Indian education reform advocate, is in a state of “extremely critical” health and receiving continuous medical care as his hunger strike reaches its 18th day, according to India Today on Wednesday.

    He has been fasting in central Delhi since June 28 in support of the founder of India’s Youth Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), who is staging a sit-in demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over May’s leak scandal that impacted millions of students — a rare act of rebellion against Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government.

    Since beginning his fast, Wangchuk has lost over eight kilograms. The CJP announced a one-day hunger strike on July 16 to show solidarity with Wangchuk, who is protesting against exam irregularities and NEET paper leaks.

    The party posted on X: “Join us tomorrow, July 16, for a one-day mass hunger strike in support of Sonam Wangchuk and India’s students.”

    CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke stated that Wangchuk has been losing muscle mass and is suffering severe pain. Several prominent opposition figures also urged Wangchuk to end his hunger strike. Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav shared on X: “His life is invaluable to the whole world because he reflects a deep commitment to humanity and the environment, as well as democracy.”

    Earlier today, a petition was filed in Delhi High Court seeking forced feeding for Wangchuk and urging his transfer to a government hospital. The plea argued that his health has deteriorated significantly and that he could die within two days if the fasting continues. It called for immediate intervention, including hospital transfer and possible administration of a medically supervised liquid diet containing vital nutrients to prevent further decline— even if against his wishes, to save his life.

    CJP describes itself as representing “the lazy, the unemployed, and the chronically correct.” Its rapid rise online signals the frustration of many young Indians, who comprise over half of the country’s 1.42 billion population.

    In 2025, India’s overall unemployment rate was 3.1% for those 15 and older, but nearly 10% among 15 to 29-year-olds, rising to 13.6% in urban areas. Youth discontent also grew over the repeated paper leaks, which caused the cancellation of a medical college entrance exam attended by 2.3 million candidates. The exam was eventually held last month.

  • Indian CM declines to resign after BJP’s electoral win against Modi

    West Bengal’s Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, leader of the Trinamool Congress (TMC), and Member of Parliament Abhishek Banerjee (right) hold a press conference as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leads in the West Bengal state assembly elections, in Kolkata, India, May 5, 2026.— Reuters

    – The CM alleges election commission bias.
    – Banerjee’s tenure as CM concludes on Thursday.
    – The election commission dismisses the CM’s claims as groundless.

    An Indian state chief minister, who was ousted from power by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s BJP in recent elections, declared on Tuesday that she had not been defeated and has no plans to resign, marking a significant political development.

    BJP emerged victorious over Banerjee’s TMC, which has governed West Bengal since 2011, by securing over two-thirds of the 294 seats tallied on Monday. Notably, BJP has never previously held power in West Bengal, a densely populated eastern state sharing borders with Bangladesh. The recent victory signifies a major milestone as the party now governs almost all eastern Indian states.

    The TMC’s seat count dropped sharply from 215 to 80, with Banerjee herself losing her legislative seat. She claimed that approximately 100 seats were “forcibly taken” from her party, alleging interference by a “biased” Election Commission—though she offered no supporting evidence.

    “I will not resign, I did not lose… officially, through the Election Commission, they (the BJP) can defeat us, but morally, we won the election,” she asserted during a press briefing.

    West Bengal’s Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Kumar Agarwal dismissed her allegations as “baseless.” BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari, who defeated Banerjee, stated that “everything is outlined in the constitution.”

    The Indian constitution allows the state’s governor to either request Banerjee’s resignation or wait for her term to naturally conclude. Once her term ends on Thursday, newly elected legislators will be sworn in, and a new government formation process will start.

    Banerjee has the right to challenge the election results in court on various grounds such as electoral malpractice, improper counting or rejection of votes or nominations, disqualification of candidates, or violation of election laws impacting the outcome. She has not indicated if she plans to pursue legal action.

    Prime Minister Modi, alongside his close aide and Home Minister Amit Shah, along with several senior BJP leaders, campaigned extensively in the state for weeks, highlighting issues like illegal immigration from Bangladesh and the struggling local economy under Banerjee’s leadership.