20 July,2026 03:12 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
The party criticised the Centre for detaining Wangchuk after he had been on a prolonged hunger strike. Pic/ Special Arrangement
The Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar faction) on Monday organised statewide sit-in protests against the Centre's handling of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk's agitation, alleging that the government resorted to detention instead of dialogue with peaceful protesters.
The demonstrations, led by the party's Youth Wing and Students' Wing, were held across Maharashtra, with large numbers of youth, students and party workers participating.
The party criticised the Centre for detaining Wangchuk after he had been on a prolonged hunger strike, saying a democratic government should have engaged with the protesters through dialogue rather than police action.
Protesters raised slogans against the Centre, accusing it of suppressing democratic dissent.
Addressing the protesters, NCP Youth State President Mehboob Sheikh demanded the immediate resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, holding him morally responsible for the alleged examination paper leak cases.
He alleged that the paper leak controversy had jeopardised the future of students across the country and said accountability must be fixed.
NCP Student State President Sunil Gawhane accused the government of attempting to suppress the voices of students instead of addressing their concerns.
He said students and young people had taken to the streets to defend democracy, constitutional values and their rights, adding that they would continue their agitation against what he described as authoritarian governance.
The protesters also demanded the resignation of Maharashtra School Education Minister Dada Bhuse, alleging moral responsibility in connection with the examination paper leak issue.
The NCP Youth Wing and Students' Wing warned that they would intensify their agitation across Maharashtra if the concerns of students and youth continued to be ignored.
Several party leaders and workers, including Pramod Bagal, Sachin Narkar, Pratik Nandgaonkar, Twinkle Parmar, Haroon Khan, Shahabad Patel, Sheikh Nazir and Vishwas Awhad, participated in the protests held across the state.
As the CJP intensified its protest against the Centre on Monday, party founder Abhijeet Dipke ended his indefinite hunger strike at the request of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, who is currently undergoing treatment at Safdarjung Hospital, reported ANI.
Dipke had launched the fast after Wangchuk was hospitalised on July 18, when the activist's own 21-day hunger strike required medical intervention.
Meanwhile, CJP representatives Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka left to meet Union Health Minister JP Nadda on Monday as party activists and supporters gathered at Jantar Mantar to press their demands for examination reforms.
Sharing the update on X, Das said the government had reached out for talks earlier in the day.
"It's 11:52 AM. Ashutosh Ranka and I, on behalf of the Cockroach Janata Party, are on our way to meet J.P. Nadda. The government had reached out for talks in the morning. Our demands are clear. The youth have gathered in huge numbers. We shall win!" Das posted.
