Jul 15, 2026 12:24 PM IST Shashi Tharoor urges Sonam Wangchuk to end NEET protest fast, asks Centre to open dialogue Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Wednesday appealed to activist Sonam Wangchuk to end his hunger strike at Delhi's Jantar Mantar over alleged irregularities in the NEET examination, saying the issue should now be taken up in Parliament when the session resumes next week.
In an open letter, Tharoor urged the Centre to engage with protesting students, calling dialogue "an act of statesmanship, not weakness." Stressing that fair examinations are the only pathway for students from lower and middle-income families, he said paper leaks and cancelled exams shatter trust and disproportionately harm the disadvantaged.
Wangchuk, who joined the Cockroach Janta Party's protest on June 28, has been fasting for 17 days and is reportedly suffering severe muscle loss and worsening health.
Several opposition leaders and public figures have also urged him to end his fast while calling on the government to initiate talks.
An Open Letter to the Jantar Mantar protestors:My dear young friends,I address you today not as a politician or an MP, but as someone deeply troubled by what is happening to your generation of young Indians.This is personal for me.
I was born to a middle-class family: my… — Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) July 15, 2026 https://platform.x.com/widgets.js
