Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal today appealed to activist Sonam Wangchuk, who has entered the 18th day of his indefinite hunger strike, to call off his fast saying that there were "many more battles" ahead for which his leadership would be needed.

Wangchuk began his indefinite fast on June 28 in solidarity with the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged examination irregularities, including the NEET paper leak. Yesterday, former Patna High Court Judge Justice Anjana Prakash along with some Supreme Court lawyers visited Wangchuk and extended their support.

Addressing a press conference today, Sibal said, “You are on a fast and we are with you. But if the government is not going to listen to you, why should you sacrifice your life? We still have many more battles to fight. We have to continue our struggle on many issues, and we need you. We need people like you, people who are respected by the public and whom people look upon as individuals willing to sacrifice their lives for a cause. There are many more battles ahead, and we must fight them together.”

In the press conference, Sibal criticised the BJP led central government for not initiating any dialogue with Wangchuk. He said a hunger strike was undertaken only when people felt the government was unwilling to listen and recalled that Mahatma Gandhi had also used fasting as a form of protest. Referring to the Anna Hazare movement, Sibal said that the (UPA) government at that time had engaged in discussions with the protesters because governments were expected to listen to the people.

Sibal said that Wangchuk's leadership would be required in future public movements and that he had requested his wife Geetanjali Angmo to convey his appeal to the activist to end the fast.

Sibal also referred to repeated examination paper leaks, including NEET and the recent TET paper leak in Maharashtra, and said that young people had joined Wangchuk's protest because their future had been adversely affected.

He alleged that despite these incidents, the Union Education Minister would not resign and stated that the government is prioritising political considerations over issues affecting the public. He further alleged that fear of action by investigative agencies had discouraged members of civil society from raising their voices.

Sibal's request comes hours after the Delhi High Court directed the Centre to ensure Wangchuk's daily clinical monitoring and to undertake any medical intervention required to improve his deteriorating health.

While disposing of a public interest litigation seeking urgent medical intervention for Wangchuk, a division bench of Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia observed that the life of every citizen was precious. Recording the Centre's assurance that government doctors and medical experts were regularly monitoring his health, the Court directed that his medical condition continue to be assessed on a daily basis and that necessary medical intervention be provided whenever required.