New DelhiThe plea expressed concern over Wangchuk’s deteriorating health condition. (Representative photo)The Delhi High Court on Wednesday sought the presence of the law officers of the Centre and the Delhi government on Thursday in a petition seeking directions to shift activist Sonam Wangchuk, who has been on a hunger strike, to a hospital and provide him medical treatment, including force-feeding.The direction was issued by a bench of chief justice DK Upadhyaya and justice Tejas Karia in a petition filed by advocate Rakesh Kumar Saini, after the court noted that lawyers continued to abstain from judicial work on Wednesday. Taking note of the urgency of the matter, the bench listed it for hearing on Thursday.“Heard the petitioner who appears in person. Having regard to the urgency, list/put up tomorrow. Let a copy of this order be served upon the additional solicitor general (ASG) and the standing counsel representing the Delhi government (civil),” the court said in its order.Wangchuk’s strike is part of a protest organised by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), demanding the resignation of Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the alleged NEET-UG paper leak.The petition stated that Wangchuk’s health has deteriorated significantly during the hunger strike, with the activist allegedly losing 8.5kg. It claimed that if the fast continues, his life could be at risk within the next two days. “If he passes away, it would be a matter of great shame for the country and the world,” the plea stated.The petition also stated that despite Wangchuk remaining on a hunger strike since June 28, no government official engaged with the protesters over the past 20 days. It alleged that the government was treating him “like a hardcore criminal, terrorist or traitor to the nation” and displayed a lack of empathy towards his condition.The CJP emerged as an online movement amid controversy surrounding remarks attributed to Chief Justice of India Surya Kant during a hearing on conferring “senior” designation on lawyers, in which “youngsters” were allegedly referred to as “cockroaches” and “parasites”. The CJI later clarified that his remarks had been misquoted and were directed at individuals entering the legal profession with “fake and bogus degrees”. It took to the ground to protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar since June 20, demanding the resignation of Union minister Pradhan over the alleged irregularities in the country’s examination system.Several opposition leaders and over 1,800 members of civil society, academics, artists and activists, including Naseeruddin Shah, Ratna Pathak Shah, Arundhati Roy, Nivedita Menon, Jean Drèze, Lalita Ramdas and Kavita Srivastava, in a letter issued on Tuesday, urged Wangchuk to end his hunger strike. On Wednesday, the People’s Union of Civil Liberties (PUCL) also appealed to Wangchuk to call off the protest, while expressing solidarity with the CJP and the ongoing protest.