Indian police forcibly hospitalize Cockroach Party hunger-strike activist Sonam Wangchuk ahead of planned Parliament march

Wangchuk's hunger strike had become a central rallying point for the Cockroach Janta Party, a movement that emerged in May after Supreme Court Chief Justice Surya Kant compared some unemployed young people to "cockroaches" during an unrelated hearing. Supporters embraced the insult as a badge of resilience, building a satirical political campaign that amassed more than 21 million Instagram followers within days.

The movement's demands include the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan following allegations that exam papers were leaked in advance, broader reforms to the examination system, and compensation for families of students who died by suicide over the leaks or exam results. Protesters had been camped at Jantar Mantar, a designated public protest ground in New Delhi, which authorities surrounded with police barricades ahead of and following the hospitalization.

Delhi Police Deputy Commissioner Sachin Sharma said Wangchuk was taken to an "appropriate government hospital" for "much-needed medical intervention, under medical supervision," and that the action followed both medical advice and a court directive. A brief commotion occurred when some protesters attempted to block the transfer.