In Photos: Sonam Wangchuk’s hunger strike enters day 18 amid health concerns

Activist Sonam Wangchuk was under round-the-clock medical supervision on Wednesday as he completed the 18th day of his hunger strike

The CJP's protest at Jantar Mantar against alleged irregularities in the NEET examination entered its 26th day on Wednesday

According to the medical bulletin issued by the CJP, Wangchuk remains "very weak" and is under 24-hour medical vigilance

His weight has fallen to 57.15 kg, a drop of 400 grams in the last 24 hours, taking his total weight loss since the beginning of the fast to 8.9 kg

His blood pressure was recorded at 105/76, blood sugar at 80 mg/dL, oxygen saturation at 97 per cent, while hydration was described as fair

Doctors said he remained conscious and mentally alert but required continuous monitoring

Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke accused the government of being "cruel" for refusing to engage in dialogue with the protesters

Dipke said the questions that deserved answers were why Prime Minister Narendra Modi was refusing to engage in dialogue and why Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had still not been held accountable

The CJP also announced a one-day mass hunger strike on July 16 in solidarity with Wangchuk and students protesting at Jantar Mantar

The outfit that was born online renewed its appeal to people to join its "Chalo Sansad" march on July 20, demanding a transparent examination system, accountability for repeated paper leaks, and Pradhan's sacking

On Tuesday, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, and AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal appealed to Wangchuk to end his fast