Can CJP-led protest at Jantar Mantar outgrow its dependence on Wangchuk?

As Sonam Wangchuk's hunger strike galvanises support, the CJP faces a defining test over whether its movement can sustain momentum beyond its strongest symbol

Sonam Wangchuk was not at Jantar Mantar on Sunday. But his presence was difficult to miss. 

His face appeared on posters across the protest site. Supporters gathered around messages carrying his name. Students who had travelled to Delhi spoke about standing by “Sonam sir”. Even from a hospital bed, the environmentalist and educationist continued to shape the direction of the movement, sending a handwritten appeal through his wife, Gitanjali J Angmo, calling the “Chalo Sansad” march, a planned march to Parliament on Monday, India’s “second freedom movement”. 

For the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which began as a youth-led campaign around education reforms and examination-related concerns, Wangchuk has become the protest’s most powerful icon. 

The development has also brought a central question into focus regarding the agitation: Whether the CJP is building a movement of its own, or whether it is drawing much of its strength from the credibility of one individual. 

The shift became more visible after Saturday’s events. In the early hours of the day, Delhi Police removed Wangchuk from Jantar Mantar, where he was on the 21st day of an indefinite hunger strike demanding Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation, and shifted him to Safdarjung Hospital. Police said they were acting in accordance with a Delhi High Court order requiring continuous monitoring of his health. Wangchuk has not ended his fast. 

Later that day, CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke announced that he would begin an indefinite hunger strike and that the plan to carry out a march to Parliament on Monday remained firm. The weekend also saw Dipke face an ink attack while addressing supporters. 

Rather than changing the trajectory of the protest, the events have added another layer to it. “All this has added layers to the protest,” said poli­tical analyst Ankit Lal. “At any given hour on Saturday, there were around 4,000-5,000 peo­ple at Jantar Mantar.” 

The protest had already been gaining visibility over the previous two weeks. Jantar Mantar became a regular stop for political leaders and public figures, including former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Samajwadi Party leader Dimple Yadav, Congress leader Pawan Khera, farmer leader Rakesh Tikait and Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad. Nearly all these appearances carried the same message: Support for Wangchuk. 

The protest site gradually became as much about the activist’s fast as the issues that brought students there. Supporters travelled from different parts of the country, while “the nation cannot lose him” emerged as a recurring sentiment both at the protest site and on social media. 

Chandrabhan, an All India Students’ Federation (AISF) leader who has been sitting at Jantar Mantar since the first day, said Wangchuk changed the scale of the agitation. “Earlier, students were coming and going, but the gravity of the issue was less understood,” he said. “As Wangchuk joined and his health started deteriorating, media coverage expanded, which intensified the protest.” 

The numbers on social me­d­­ia tell a similar story. The CJP’s Instagram account had crossed 22.7 million followers on June 10, four days after its first on-ground protest, according to analytics platform InsTrack. The figure later slipped to 21.8 million by July 13, while enga­gement rates also declined. 

That trend reversed after Wangchuk became associated with the protest. By July 18, the CJP’s account had recovered to 22.6 million followers, gaining more than 600,000 followers in three days. Engagement and average likes also began recovering. 

For journalist and author Paranjoy Guha Thakurta, who has been observing the protest, Wangchuk’s involvement has changed how the movement is perceived: “His presence and support for such an important cause has increased credibility and struck a strong chord with people.” 

But for many supporting the protest, the movement can­n­ot be reduced to one person. Saiyad, Delhi president of the All India Students’ Association (AISA), whose members are participating in the hunger strike, said movements require continuous momentum. 

“After 20 days of a hunger strike, you need a new push. The July 20 march is one such effort,” he said, while also acknowledging Wangchuk’s influence.  “A lot of students are sacrificing a lot of things. All of it combined makes a movement successful, but yes, we can’t deny the impact of Sonam sir. It’s huge.” 

That balance — between Wangchuk’s pull and the CJP’s own identity —may be the defining test ahead.

 

Many young participants at Jantar Mantar say they support the cause but remain uncertain about the organisation behind it.

“I stand with the CJP because I am a student and the (examination) system needs to be fixed,” said Rohan Kumar, a Joint Entrance Examination aspirant from Uttar Pradesh. But he is still not sure about the CJP’s future beyond this movement. 

Political analyst Diggaj Mogra said the protest has moved away from the identity it initially projected. What was presented as a new-age, digital youth uprising has returned to an older form of politics, he said, adding, “At this point, the CJP’s GenZ revolution seems to be powered entirely by a non-GenZ man’s empty stomach.” 

The organisations supporting the protest say their association remains issue-based. “AISA was already protesting against the National Education Policy and issues around the National Testing Agency. This is a larger movement for students,” Saiyad said. 

AISF’s Chandrabhan said the support would continue as long as the objectives remained aligned. “Today it’s a student protest, then it may be about unemployment or any other youth issue. We will support them as we have been doing since the first day,” he added. 

As Monday’s march approaches, security has been tightened across New Delhi ahead of the Parliament session. Delhi Police have increased deployment, strengthened barricading and intensified vehicle checks at key entry points. Police officials said the CJP does not have permission for the march and that unauthorised movement towards the high-security Parliament zone will not be allowed. 

The immediate question is whether Monday’s march will mark a high point for CJP — or a reminder that the movement's strongest currency remains Wangchuk himself.