Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke on Monday ended his indefinite hunger strike after activist Sonam Wangchuk appealed to all those fasting in solidarity to call off their protest and conserve their energy and strength for the proposed Parliament march.Dipke broke his fast with the help of the father of Ria, a Dehradun-based NEET aspirant who died by suicide last month.Dipke had begun his indefinite hunger strike on Saturday after Delhi Police shifted Wangchuk from the Jantar Mantar protest site to Safdarjung Hospital following directions of the Delhi High Court amid concerns over his deteriorating health.Announcing his decision at the time, Dipke had said, “I am starting an indefinite hunger strike beginning right now.”While Dipke has now ended his fast, Wangchuk continues his indefinite hunger strike from Safdarjung Hospital. In a handwritten note, he said he would end the fast only if any one of three conditions was met.“I will end my fast on July 20 if the government takes accountability for the recent failures in the education system, including paper leaks,” Wangchuk wrote.He added that he would also end the fast if “I and the leadership of CJP reach the doorsteps of Parliament where Hon’ble MPs and leaders of various parties assure us that they will now take up the issue in Parliament.”If his health did not permit him to travel, he said, “the Hon’ble MPs and leaders of different parties visit this hospital and give the above assurance.”Describing his stay at Safdarjung Hospital as an “illegal detention”, Wangchuk alleged, “My freedom of movement, speech and all communication are restricted.”The development comes as CJP members continue preparations for their proposed Parliament march, while talks between government representatives and the organisation are also underway.


