Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) on Monday, 13 July launched a sharp offensive against the Centre over what it called a 'callous silence' on the deteriorating health of innovator and activist Sonam Wangchuk, who has been on an indefinite hunger strike at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi for 15 days in support of the ongoing student agitation against the NEET-UG examination crisis. The Thackeray faction simultaneously demanded the immediate dismissal of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the exam scam.

What the Saamana Editorial Said

The party's mouthpiece 'Saamana' carried a scathing editorial painting a grim portrait of Wangchuk's physical condition. 'His body is emaciated, his breathing is laboured, and his voice has grown faint. Yet, PM Modi continues to shield his inactive, incompetent Education Minister, Dharmendra Pradhan. Sonam Wangchuk's life must be protected at all costs,' the editorial stated.

The piece argued that Wangchuk's fast — driven by concern for India's student community rather than personal or political interest — deserved direct engagement from the Prime Minister. It noted that while Wangchuk starved, PM Modi was reportedly touring four to five countries and receiving foreign honours, raising questions about the government's priorities.

The NEET Crisis at the Core

At the heart of the Uddhav camp's fury is the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET-UG) controversy, which has been marked by repeated question paper leaks and arbitrary cancellations, throwing the futures of millions of medical aspirants into uncertainty. The editorial alleged that competitive examinations have been reduced to a 'horse-trading market' where question papers are openly auctioned for millions of rupees.

Investigations into the leaks have, according to the editorial, exposed links between the accused and the 'BJP family'. The Thackeray faction also criticised the government's reported proposal to deploy the military and the Air Force to secure future exam papers, calling it 'bizarre and extreme' — an attempt to manage symptoms rather than fix institutional rot.

Attack on Dharmendra Pradhan

The editorial reserved its sharpest barbs for Dharmendra Pradhan, alleging that by appointing corrupt Vice-Chancellors to prestigious universities, he had 'effectively destroyed' India's higher education framework. 'Dharmendra Pradhan is no titan of education,' the editorial remarked. 'He completely lacks the visionary leadership of his illustrious predecessors like Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, P.V. Narasimha Rao, or Arjun Singh.'

The Anna Hazare Parallel

Drawing a pointed historical comparison, the Shiv Sena (UBT) recalled the 2011 anti-corruption movement when veteran activist Anna Hazare undertook an 11-day hunger strike at Ramlila Maidan for the Jan Lokpal Bill under the Dr Manmohan Singh-led UPA government. The Singh administration had then proactively sent multiple Union Ministers and emissaries to engage with Hazare and seek a resolution.

'Back then, the BJP actively supported Anna's movement, loudly labelling it as 'public outrage' and the 'voice of the people'. Today, sitting comfortably in power, they dismiss Wangchuk's genuine, student-led protest as a 'political conspiracy'. This is nothing but pure hypocrisy,' the editorial stated.

Call to Action

The Thackeray camp concluded with an appeal to the nation, urging Anna Hazare to stand alongside Wangchuk in Delhi, calling on the opposition to mobilise at Jantar Mantar, and exhorting India's youth to convert Wangchuk's solitary fast into a mass movement. The editorial also reminded the ruling dispensation that it was the youth vote — energised partly by Modi's address at Ferguson College and his Pariksha Pe Charcha programmes — that originally propelled him to power 12 years ago. 'Today, the integrity of those very exams has been thoroughly decimated, yet the Prime Minister refuses to even discuss it,' it noted.

With Wangchuk's health a growing concern and the NEET controversy showing no signs of resolution, the political pressure on the Centre is set to intensify in the days ahead.