Sonam Wangchuk should be Education Minister, says Arvind Kejriwal at Delhi protest

2 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Jul 16, 2026 07:40 PM IST

Kejriwal said young people from across the country had come together to demand reforms in the examination system, and commended them for raising their voice for a fair and transparent education system. (Express photo)

As activist Sonam Wangchuk’s hunger strike seeking the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the leak of NEET-UG exam paper entered the 19th day on Thursday, AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal met climate activist at Jantar Mantar. Seeking the removal of Pradhan, Kejriwal demanded Wangchuk to be made the Union Education Minister.

Addressing the media after meeting Wangchuk, the former Delhi CM said, “Listen to the youth, Cockroach movement & Sonam Wangchuk, otherwise, three years later you (Central government) will meet a 2014-like fate…I also extend a proposal – Dharmendra Pradhan should resign but make Sonam Wangchuk the Education Minister of the country. I suggest the PM – remove Dharmendra Pradhan and make Sonam Wangchuk the Union Education Minister.”

As the Delhi High Court heard a Public Interest Litigation by an advocate accusing the government of treating the 59-year-old like a “terrorist”, the Centre assured the HC that Wangchuk’s condition shall be monitored daily and necessary steps for his well-being will be taken. The advocate sought the court’s direction to the government to provide “full proper and necessary aid” to Wangchuk to stop his “deteriorating health and life-threatening condition” and “force feed him”.

Opposition leaders have been visiting Wangchuk at the protest site and requesting him to end the fast. Wangchuk has been on hunger strike in Delhi since June 28 as part of the protest organised by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP). In an interview with The Indian Express earlier this week, Wangchuk said the Prime Minister should be sensitive to students’ concerns, and called for the issue to be debated in the upcoming Monsoon Session of Parliament. “A resignation is merely the starting point,” he said.