Wangchuk Denies Striking Deal With Government

as Jantar Mantar Protests Continue

Report By Y-Trendz

New Delhi, July 25, 2026 — Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk has forcefully rejected claims that he negotiated a backdoor settlement with the Union government to end his 26-day hunger strike, even as

protesters at Delhi's Jantar Mantar continue their agitation over alleged irregularities in the NEET examination and broader demands for accountability in India's education system.

In a 22-minute video message posted late Friday night, Wangchuk pushed back against mounting criticism that he had "cut a deal" with the Centre when he broke his fast on July 24 in the presence of Union Ministers J.P. Nadda and Jitendra Singh at Medanta Hospital in Gurugram. "After 26 days of hunger, do I still need to prove my sincerity?" he wrote on X, accompanying the video.

Wangchuk argued that his decision to end the fast was driven not by any negotiated settlement but by fear of an imminent crackdown on the student protesters who had gathered at Jantar Mantar. He said he insisted on a written commitment from the government rather than accepting a verbal assurance, and did not relent until officials agreed to put their promises on paper. "Late last night, around midnight, I was informed that the ministers had agreed to provide the assurance in writing," he said.

Addressing critics who questioned why he ended his fast without securing the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan — one of the original core demands of the protest — Wangchuk said his foremost priority had shifted to ensuring that protesting students would not face violence or legal action. He was particularly pointed in dismissing the "deal" narrative, asking rhetorically why anyone negotiating a private arrangement would have chosen to starve for nearly a month. "If I had to make a deal, would I have remained hungry for 26 days? Could I not have struck a deal sitting in an air-conditioned room instead of fasting in Delhi's heat?" he said.

The activist also used the video to detail what he described as mistreatment during his hospitalization. After being removed from the Jantar Mantar protest site on July 18 — a move that followed a leadership change within the Delhi Police and the forcible clearing of barricades at the site — Wangchuk said he was taken to Safdarjung Hospital and held "like a prisoner," denied free movement, prevented from meeting visitors, and not allowed to keep a mobile phone or laptop. "It was like being in North Korea," he said, adding that even after the Delhi High Court permitted his transfer to Medanta Hospital, he was allegedly held back at Safdarjung for several hours before the shift was allowed.

Wangchuk ultimately broke his fast shortly after midnight on July 24 following the government's written assurances, which included a commitment to be "positive" about not registering cases against those who protested peacefully at Jantar Mantar and those who took part in the march toward Parliament on July 20; a promise of detailed discussion in Parliament on examination reforms and paper leaks; and consideration of compensation for the families of NEET aspirants who died by suicide following the paper leak controversy. Prime Minister Narendra Modi subsequently urged Wangchuk to "follow his daily routine as advised by the doctors and regain his weight as soon as possible."

Despite the assurances and Wangchuk's public exit from the front line of the movement, demonstrators at Jantar Mantar have shown little sign of standing down. Protesters, many of them students and members of Gen Z who joined the movement after the police action against Wangchuk, say they remain unconvinced by government promises that have yet to be formally acted upon. "We will believe them when we see them," said Bhavyasha, a student set to join the National Institute of Fashion Technology, reflecting a broader wariness among demonstrators. Another protester, identified as Gargi, said settling now risked signaling that the movement would accept less than its full demands: "If we settle now, they will know we are willing to accept less than what we demanded. Once the government realises that, there is no going back."

The protest, originally organized under the banner of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) and sparked by allegations of irregularities in the NEET examination, has since broadened into a wider challenge to privatization in education and calls for comprehensive reform of India's examination system. Protesters continue to demand Pradhan's resignation — a demand that appears to have been set aside, at least for now, in the assurances extended to Wangchuk.

Analysts tracking the standoff note that the government's outreach to Wangchuk, while defusing the immediate crisis around his health, has done little to resolve the underlying tensions driving the agitation. With the CJP's negotiating track now separated from the mass protests still unfolding on the ground, questions remain over who effectively speaks for the thousands who continue to gather at Jantar Mantar, and whether the written assurances secured by Wangchuk will translate into concrete government action in the days ahead.