Skip next section What you need to know
What you need to know
- Dipke says to call for Modi’s resignation, announces indefinite hunger strike
- Sonam Wangchuk was shifted to a hospital by the police on the 21st day of his hunger strike
- Wangchuk has been fasting since June 28 in solidarity with students demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan
Here is a roundup of the latest news from India on Saturday, July 18:
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Skip next section Four others continue hunger strike on 21st day07/18/2026July 18, 2026
Four others continue hunger strike on 21st day
Syamantak Ghosh in New Delhi
Four people continued their hunger strike for the 21st day on Saturday after activist Sonam Wangchuk was shifted to a hospital, with their protest moving to the main stage at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, DW correspondent Syamantak Ghosh reported.
The four — Neha, Manish, Aameen and Hamad — had begun their hunger strike with Wangchuck on June 28.
According to Ghosh, hundreds of protesters have gathered at the protest site, with participants arriving from several states.
Members of various organizations marched through the venue, beating drums and chanting slogans, while activists addressed the crowd and spoke to the media, the DW correspondent said.
Neha, Manish and Aameen are members of the All India Students’ Association (AISA) and PhD scholars at different universities.
https://p.dw.com/p/5HLdDSkip next section Dipke says to call for Modi’s resignation, announces indefinite hunger strike07/18/2026July 18, 2026
Dipke says to call for Modi’s resignation, announces indefinite hunger strike
Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke said on Saturday that the protest movement will now demand the resignation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi after announcing the start of his indefinite hunger strike.
Dipke’s announcement came soon after activist Sonam Wangchuk was taken to a hospital by the Delhi Police on the 21st day of the activist’s hunger strike.
The CJP alleged that police had “forcefully” taken Wangchuk away.
“If they think that taking Sonam Sir away will end this movement, they are mistaken. We will remain here, and will march to Parliament on July 20,” Dipke said in a video addressing the media.
“Until now, we were demanding Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation, but after this despicable act, we will now demand the resignation of Narendra Modi,” he said.
“Abhijeet Dipke sits on an indefinite hunger strike,” the CJP posted on X, adding that the planned march to the Indian parliament on Monday would continue as planned.
https://p.dw.com/p/5HLZkSkip next section Police ‘forcefully’ move activist Sonam Wangchuk to hospital07/18/2026July 18, 2026
Police ‘forcefully’ move activist Sonam Wangchuk to hospital
Indian activist Sonam Wangchuk was shifted to a hospital by Delhi Police on Saturday, the 21st day of his hunger strike in New Delhi, ahead of a planned march to Parliament on July 20.
The youth-led Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) alleged that police had “forcefully” taken Wangchuk away.
The New Delhi Deputy Commissioner of Police said in a post on X that the move was as per orders of the court and on expert medical advice “due to the deteriorating health condition” of Wangchuk, adding that it was to ensure “essential medical care.”
Wangchuk, 59, has been fasting since June 28 in solidarity with students protesting an entrance exam scandal and demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke said authorities prevented him from reaching the protest site on Saturday. A day earlier, Dipke said Wangchuk had lost about 8.7 kilograms (19.1 pounds) and appeared visibly weak, having suffered significant muscle loss.
https://p.dw.com/p/5HLWiSkip next section Welcome to our coverage07/18/2026July 18, 2026
Welcome to our coverage
Shakeel Sobhan | Saim Dušan Inayatullah Editor
Hello! This is Shakeel from DW’s New Delhi Studio, bringing you the latest news from across India.
Early on Saturday, Delhi Police personnel removed activist Sonam Wangchuk from his protest site to a hospital. Wangchuk was on his 21st day of a hunger strike in New Delhi, along with supporters of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) demanding the resignation of India’s Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged exam irregularities.
CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke said authorities prevented him from reaching the protest site. In a post on X, Dipke alleged that Delhi Police was “cracking down at Jantar Mantar”, “beating up people” and “taking away Sonam sir forcefully.”
Tune in to our blog for all this and more.
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