Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk has said he will continue his indefinite hunger strike despite growing concerns about his health, calling on supporters to join a peaceful march to Parliament on July 20 instead of urging him to end his fast.
In a video message shared on X, Wangchuk said his condition had weakened but insisted he was determined to continue the protest.
"I’m not in good shape but not so bad either... Rather than asking me to break my fast please join me on 20th July... Peaceful March to the Parliament," Wangchuk said in a post on X, a day before the Delhi High Court is set to hear a plea seeking urgent medical intervention.
His appeal came ahead of Thursday's hearing in the Delhi High Court on a public interest litigation expressing concern over his deteriorating health during the indefinite hunger strike at Jantar Mantar.
Filed on Wednesday, the petition seeks directions for Wangchuk to be admitted to a hospital, provided with appropriate medical care and, if required, given nutritional support through force-feeding.
The Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) has announced a one-day mass hunger strike today in solidarity with Wangchuk and students across the country.
In a post on X, the CJP said, "Tomorrow, July 16th, join us for 1-day mass hunger strike in solidarity with Sonam Wangchuk and the students of this country."
On Wednesday, Wangchuk reiterated that he would not call off his hunger strike, saying doing so would undermine the seriousness of the ongoing protests.
In his video message, he said he had been losing muscle mass but added that his heart and other vital organs were functioning normally and that his medical reports remained within normal limits.
He again urged supporters and well-wishers to take part in the peaceful march to Parliament on July 20 instead of asking him to end his fast.
CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke said Wangchuk's health had deteriorated significantly during the course of the hunger strike.
As anxiety over his condition grew, several political leaders, including Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal, appealed to Wangchuk to end his fast.
The CJP, which has been staging protests at Delhi's Jantar Mantar for the past 25 days over the NEET issue, on Tuesday also unveiled a five-point charter seeking examination reforms, claiming its campaign was receiving increasing support from leaders across political parties.
Veteran actor Zeenat Aman called on the government to open dialogue with Wangchuk, saying India should not "sit back and watch one of its greatest minds be sacrificed."
Actor Omi Vaidya, widely known for portraying Chatur "Silencer" Ramalingam in 3 Idiots, also appealed to the public to pay attention to Wangchuk's declining health, saying he did not want the activist to die.
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