Published Jul 19, 2026 | 4:53 PM ⚊ Updated Jul 19, 2026 | 4:53 PM
Many of those attending were teenagers who questioned why Pradhan had not resigned despite protests across the country.
Synopsis: A day after climate activist Sonam Wangchuk was forcibly removed from his 21-day hunger strike at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, hundreds of protesters gathered in Bengaluru and Hyderabad in solidarity, demanding accountability from the Union government and the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
Protesters staged demonstrations in Bengaluru and Hyderabad on Sunday, 19 July, after climate activist Sonam Wangchuk was forcibly removed from his hunger strike at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar and shifted to Safdarjung Hospital following 21 days of fasting over alleged examination paper leaks.
The demonstrations, organised by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), brought together students, activists and members of civil society, who demanded accountability from the Union government for examination irregularities and justice for students. Protesters also reiterated their demand for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
In Bengaluru, more than 1,000 people gathered at Freedom Park in solidarity with Wangchuk. He has appealed to people across the country to join the ‘Chalo Sansad’ march in Delhi on Monday.
In Hyderabad, the protest call was issued by civil society activist Ruchit Asha Kamal, social media personalities Swapna Thakur and Ajay Radha Kumar, and organisers of the NGO Swayam Krushi. Protesters assembled at Dharna Chowk near Indira Park at 10 am.
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In Hyderabad, protesters raised slogans such as “Inquilab Zindabad”, “Jai Bhim”, and “Dharmendra Pradhan Istifa Do”. Several participants said it was their first protest and that Wangchuk’s removal from Jantar Mantar had prompted them to join.
Protesters in Hyderabad.
Addressing the gathering, activist Khalida Parveen said, “I have come here to demand justice for our kids. I am 70 years old. People like me should not have to come onto the streets. But here we are. It is shameful that we have to fight for something as basic as education.”
Parveen said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should resign for failing to remove Pradhan and for not responding to the protesting students.
“Sonam Wangchuk was protesting in his place peacefully. What was the need for forcibly removing him? The way he was picked up in a white blanket was disrespectful, like they would take a dead body,” she said.
“Democracy has failed. It is dead. The future of India is in your hands, my children. We should all raise our voices now. If not today, then never,” she added.
Among those present were journalists N Venugopal and Thulasi Chandu, writer Pingali Chaitanya, and stand-up comic Vivek Muralidharan.
Speaking to South First, Muralidharan said, “I was creeped out by the way they picked up Wangchuk. It is uncharacteristic of a democratic government to avoid engaging with a peaceful protest. A person has been fasting for 21 days, and you just pick him up without engaging with him? Almost every protest has been going this way in the country.”
“I’m worried something like the farmers’ protest of 26 January might happen during the 20 July March to Parliament. The government doesn’t engage when people resist peacefully. Then, when the resistance gets bigger, they want to curb it by forceful means or term it as violence,” he added.
Many of those attending were teenagers who questioned why Pradhan had not resigned despite protests across the country.
Sarayu, a 17-year-old CLAT aspirant, told South First, “I have come here to show my support for Sonam Wangchuk. I think it is unjustifiable; it is horrible what they did to Wangchuk. It was abduction. You cannot weaponise the High Court’s order to do something very blatantly illegal. I hope Sonam Wangchuk gets released soon because he is trying to do something great for the country, and I hope he prevails in this cause.”
Protesters in Hyderabad.
Industrialist Seshagiri Rao, who attended the protest with his son Rohit, said, “During the Indian independence movement, Mahatma Gandhi became a galvanising force for the entire country. I think now Sonam Wangchuk has become that force for youngsters across India. We feel some hope now that people can mobilise for democratic causes. Today it may be about NEET and the education system. It will be about other important issues tomorrow.”
“People have been under fear that whenever they spoke up against the government, they were called anti-national and trolled. There is a sense of fear. As a senior citizen, I could see it. It was never there in the country earlier. I took part in the India Against Corruption movement against the previous Congress government. Now it sometimes feels like that must have been a mistake,” he added.
The organisers observed a moment of silence in memory of students who died by suicide following the alleged NEET paper leak. Photographs of Sanaa Shaik, a student from Hyderabad’s Miyapur who died before the NEET re-examination, were displayed at the venue.
Sanaa’s cousin, Sophia, said, “We had several plans together once she had finished her exams. We both wanted to go out for pizza. But I got news that she died one day before the exam. She took such an extreme step despite being from an orthodox family that believes suicide is haram. She even mentioned it in her letter. My family has still not recovered from it.”
Ruchit termed the deaths of Sanaa and other students following the alleged NEET paper leak as “institutional murders”.
