Sonam Wangchuk has ended his hunger strike after 26 days, the Indian activist said Thursday on his X account.
The 59-year-old had been on a hunger strike since June 28 in solidarity with India’s youth-led Cockroach movement.
The student-led protesters have been calling for Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan to resign over a leaked medical exam papers scandal.
“Just now in the presence of Union Ministers JP Nadda & Dr. Jitendra Singh and the senior leaders of Apex Body of Leh Ladakh I finally broke my fast after 26 days,” Wangchuk wrote.
He added that 65 members of parliament from different political parties had visited or otherwise urged him to break the fast.
A Cockroach movement protest on Monday ended in clashes with police and dozens of arrests, after protesters defied police orders and marched toward parliament.
Following the clashes, the opposition Congress Party called for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Home Minister Amit Shah to step down over the police crackdown.
Wanghuck said he had decided to end his hunger strike “after a long negotiation on various conditions and in view of possible violence in the country. Meanwhile, I urge you all to stay very vigilant about not allowing violence of any kind anywhere.”
Earlier on Thursday, Wangchuk had offered to end his hunger strike if the government agreed not to harm student protesters.
He said he was seeking assurances from the government, including compensation for families of students who committed suicide, and the resignation of India’s education minister.
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Edited by: Karl Sexton
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