politics

Anna Hazare urges government to hold talks with Sonam Wangchuk amid hunger strike

Published on: 18 Jul 2026, 02:19 PM

Activist Anna Hazare has called on the Union government to initiate dialogue with educationist Sonam Wangchuk, who is on an indefinite hunger strike. In a video message released on Saturday, July 18, 2026, Hazare urged the government not to 'test his limits' and to engage in discussions over Wangchuk's demands.

'The government should not test his limits. Say yes or no to his demands, but there is nothing wrong in holding discussions,' Hazare said.

Wangchuk, known for his work in education reform in Ladakh, has been demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the alleged leak of the NEET question paper. On the 21st day of his hunger strike, he was forcibly removed by Delhi Police from the protest site at Jantar Mantar and taken to a government hospital.

Hazare's intervention recalls his own 2011 hunger strike in Delhi for the Lokpal Act, which pressured the UPA government. The current protest by Wangchuk has drawn attention to issues of exam integrity and accountability in the education system.

Source: The Hindu

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