India, July 14 -- As Sonam Wangchuk's hunger strike entered its 16th day on Monday, with his weight loss touching 8.2 kg and blood glucose dropping to 67 mg/dL, the satirical and statedly apolitical Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) found itself pressed between two sides of the political divide - Rahul Gandhi's Congress so far unwilling to show up, and Narendra Modi's government that refuses to engage.

Abhijeet Dipke, who has centered the protest around a demand for education minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation over paper leaks, underlined the government's apathy, as he noted this week that not a single minister or delegation has come to speak with Wangchuk.

Pradhan, meanwhile, has gone on to use the words "B-team of terrorists" for the...