Thackeray extended his support on Monday to CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke and Wangchuk, who is staging an indefinite hunger strike at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. The agitation is demanding accountability for alleged failures involving competitive and school examinations, including claims linked to the NEET-UG paper leak.
The former Maharashtra chief minister also appealed to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to visit the protest site and stand with the demonstrators. He said political parties should respond to the anxieties of students whose education and employment prospects depend on examinations being conducted fairly.
Thackeray praised Dipke for raising the examination controversy beyond the country’s borders and questioned why the issue had not generated a stronger political response at home. His intervention has given the youth-led campaign added opposition support as it seeks the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
Wangchuk began his hunger strike on June 28, eight days after the CJP launched its continuing sit-in at Jantar Mantar. The climate activist and education reformer had joined an earlier demonstration organised by the group on June 6, describing the gathering as an appeal for dialogue rather than confrontation.
Doctors monitoring Wangchuk have reported substantial weight loss, declining blood sugar and falling blood pressure during the fast. By Monday, he had been without food for more than two weeks and had lost over eight kilograms, prompting political leaders, writers and actors to urge him to protect his health while continuing the campaign through other means.
The protest entered its 24th day on Monday and drew support from Delhi Assembly Opposition Leader Atishi, legislator Kuldeep Kumar and former Delhi mayor Shelly Oberoi. Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra had earlier visited the site and demanded responsibility for examination failures that have disrupted the lives of students and their families.
Authors Arundhati Roy and Tushar Gandhi, along with actors Naseeruddin Shah and Ratna Pathak Shah, were among public figures who appealed to the hunger strikers to end their fast. They expressed support for the demand for accountability but warned that the authorities’ failure to engage could expose protesters to severe medical consequences.
The CJP emerged as a satirical digital movement that channelled frustration among young people over unemployment, corruption and the handling of examinations. Dipke adopted the cockroach as a symbol of survival and resistance, turning language seen as dismissive of struggling youth into the movement’s political identity.
Although it is not registered as a conventional political party, the organisation has built a large online following and attracted students, examination candidates and civil society activists to its demonstrations. Its campaign has centred on alleged leaks, disputed evaluation procedures and administrative lapses affecting examinations conducted by national agencies and education boards.
The protesters have also raised questions about the Central Board of Secondary Education’s on-screen marking system for Class 12 examinations. Students have complained about evaluation discrepancies and difficulties obtaining effective redress, adding to wider concerns about transparency across the examination system.
The agitation gained another boost when the Delhi High Court directed the restoration of the CJP’s account on X. The account had been blocked following concerns that its content could contribute to disorder around the NEET controversy. The court found that the stated grounds for continuing the restriction were no longer sustainable after a government review.
The account had accumulated about 200,000 followers before being blocked, making it an important organising platform for the movement. Its restoration was portrayed by Dipke as a victory for political expression and the right of young citizens to question public institutions.
