Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) on Saturday, 18 July launched a sharp attack on the central government, accusing it of deliberately ignoring and defaming climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, who has been on a hunger strike at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi for 21 days alongside a student named Neha. The two are demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET-UG question paper leak scandal.

What the Saamana Editorial Said

The Uddhav Thackeray-led party made its position clear through an editorial in its mouthpiece Saamana, strongly defending Wangchuk's journey from Ladakh to the national capital as an act of conscience. The editorial argued that Wangchuk had come to Delhi to 'save the nation' and that his protest against alleged corporate land-grabbing in Ladakh was a fight for the region's fragile tribal ecosystem.

'When Wangchuk raised his voice against this institutional looting, he became undesirable to PM Modi. Fighting for one's rights has effectively become a crime in independent India,' the editorial stated, adding that his cause belongs to every Indian citizen.

Attack on BJP Over Wangchuk's Credentials

The Thackeray camp took particular aim at BJP MP Manoj Tiwari, who reportedly described the Ramon Magsaysay and Padma awardee as a member of the 'Aam Aadmi gang' and called him an 'obstacle' to India's growth. The editorial responded by questioning Tiwari's credibility, referencing his background in Bhojpuri cinema, and accused the ruling party of sheltering individuals who, it alleged, justify wrongdoing — drawing a parallel to corruption concerns around Ram Temple funds. It also noted, pointedly, that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had once stood alongside the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) during Anna Hazare's anti-corruption movement at Ramlila Maidan.

NEET Scam and Student Suicides

The editorial underscored what it called the devastating human cost of the NEET paper leak, claiming the scandal has plunged millions of students into depression and, according to the party's account, resulted in 20 to 25 student suicides. Doctors have reportedly expressed serious concern for the health of Neha, the student fasting alongside Wangchuk, yet the government has shown no response, the editorial charged.

'In this regime, human life has lost its value. Let students die, let farmers die, let soldiers perish in Pulwama, or tourists in Kashmir — this government remains completely unfazed,' the Saamana editorial said.

Modi's Foreign Travel Versus Domestic Inaction

The Thackeray faction drew a pointed contrast between Prime Minister Narendra Modi's overseas engagements — including his visit to meet Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni — and what it described as his refusal to acknowledge a dying activist a short distance from his own residence. The editorial mocked the optics of the PM carrying 'Melody chocolates' abroad while declining to offer, as it put it, 'a glass of water' to Wangchuk.

Wangchuk's Contribution to National Security

The party also highlighted Wangchuk's contributions to India's defence preparedness, specifically crediting him with inventing solar-powered insulated tents that maintain an interior temperature of +15°C even when outside temperatures drop to -14°C in high-altitude border zones — a technology of direct relevance to Indian soldiers deployed along sensitive frontiers.

The editorial concluded with a warning, comparing what it termed the BJP's 'arrogance and cruelty' to historical figures including Ravana, Duryodhana, Hitler, Idi Amin, and Aurangzeb, asserting that such hubris inevitably collapses. As Wangchuk's fast enters its fourth week, the political pressure on the Centre over both the NEET crisis and Ladakh's land concerns shows no sign of easing.