Sonam Wngchuk Whisked away, Admitted to Hospital, CJP Founder Launch Indefinite Fast in his Place

Rohit Kumar

NEW DELHI, July 18: The activist and educator Sonam Wangchuk, who was on an indefinite hunger strike at Jantar Mantar in Delhi demanding the resignation of the union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan over question paper leaks, was on Saturday morning forcibly removed from the site by the Delhi police as his hunger strike entered 21^st day and admitted to the Safdarjung hospital for medical intervention.

Soon after his removal, Abhijeet Dipke, the founder of the Cockrach Janta Party (CJP), which has launched the protest dharna at the Jantar Mantar, announced that he was taking Wangchuk’s place and launched indefinite hunger strike to press the demand for Pradhan’s resignation.

The New Delhi DCP’s office said Mr Wangchuk has been shifted to the hospital for ‘essential medical care’ as per the orders of the Delhi High Court and on expert medical advice due to his deteriorating health condition. Mr Wangchuk has refused intravenous fluids, oral rehydration solution and other medications despite signs of dehydration and metabolic abnormalities, hospital authorities said.

Mr Wangchuk’s wife Gitanjali J. Angmo, who was with her husband when he was being forcibly removed from Jantar Mantar, said she was at the Safdarjung hospital in Delhi where the activist has been admitted. While demanding the hospital authorities not to force-feed anything orally or intravenous without taking consent from her, his family and his doctors who have been monitoring his health for the past 20 days,” she also claimed that no treatment was being provided to the activist nor was the hospital sharing his health report with the family.

In a related development, a woman threw an ink-like liquid at the CJP founder as Abhijeet Dipke was addressing his supporters announcing his launching the indefinite fast, triggering chaos at the venue where demonstrations over the NEET controversy have been underway. His speech was interrupted as party workers and protesters rushed towards the stage following the attack. Police later detained the woman, though her identity and the reason behind the act have not yet been disclosed. An investigation is underway.

Soon after the incident, Dipke shared a video of the moment on X, writing, “Blue is my colour… Jai Bhim!” The woman’s identity and the motive behind the attack were not immediately known.

The attack by the woman came hours after Delhi Police shifted Mr Wangchuk from the protest site to Safdarjung Hospital after his health worsened following a 20-day indefinite hunger strike. The early morning move led to brief scuffles as some protesters attempted to stop the police from taking him away.

Wangchuk has been fasting since June 28 in support of the CJP-led agitation, which alleges irregularities in the NEET examination and seeks the resignation of Mr Pradhan. According to doctors monitoring his condition, Wangchuk has lost nearly 9.5 kg during the fast and is being closely watched for fluctuations in his blood pressure and blood sugar levels.

On Saturday morning, the Delhi police moved very swiftly to whisk away Wangchuk to the hospital before any of the 50-60 protesters present at the site could realize what was happening. A group of police personnel moved towards the main stage where Wangchuk was resting. They quickly covered the stage with white sheets, shielding the activity from public view.

Behind those sheets, Wangchuk was carefully lifted and carried away. He was then swiftly transferred to an ambulance waiting just outside the barricaded protest site. For several minutes, many protesters did not fully understand what had taken place.

As word spread that Wangchuk had been removed, people rushed towards the stage and attempted to stop the police. There was brief resistance, but officers managed the situation while repeatedly urging people to remain calm. They maintained that they were acting in compliance with the Delhi High Court’s directions regarding Wangchuk’s health.

The CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke, was not present when Wangchuk was taken away. Some protesters said Dipke had stepped out to use the restroom at a friend’s residence. Dipke later alleged that he had been assaulted and detained by the police. Nearly two hours after the incident, he returned to Jantar Mantar and announced from the stage that he would continue the movement by beginning his own hunger strike.

After Wangchuk’s removal, the protest site remained under tight security. The area was effectively sealed for nearly half an hour as additional police personnel entered the premises. Some protesters who attempted to create a disturbance were detained. The atmosphere remained tense for almost two hours.

Throughout this period, police officials repeatedly made announcements over loudspeakers, informing protesters that Wangchuk had been shifted to hospital under the High Court’s directions and urging them to disperse peacefully. The protesters, however, remained visibly agitated. Many raised slogans against Delhi Police, accusing authorities of suppressing democratic dissent and calling Wangchuk’s removal an attack on the right to protest.

Despite the tense atmosphere and heavy deployment, the protest did not end. Later, Safdarjung Hospital confirmed that Sonam Wangchuk was admitted at around 7:40 am. According to the hospital, he was weak due to prolonged fasting and dehydration. Doctors said while he was stable at the time of admission, he required continuous observation, monitoring and medical treatment to restore his health.

The police operation was apparently planned on a strict need-to-know basis, with only a small group of senior police officers aware of the full strategy. Sources said the officers deliberately chose to carry out the exercise at daybreak, when the number of protesters at the site was expected to be the lowest.

Attacking the BJP government, Dipke said, “This antic by the RSS goons, of carrying Sonam-ji out… if they think this will end the protest, it won’t. We will stay right here. And we will march to Parliament from right here on July 20,” Mr Dipke told the students.

Wangchuk’s wife Gitanjali J Angmo, claimed that the “the High Court order never mandated hospitalisation. It simply stated that an individual’s health is paramount and must be monitored at regular intervals; it did not order hospitalisation. So, this is not in accordance with the High Court order. No treatment is underway right now.”

She also wrote to the Safdarjung Hospital asking for the activist to be shifted to a medical center of their choice as the “lack of transparency has shaken their trust.” In her letter, Ms Angmo demanded that the hospital provide digital and physical health reports of Mr Wangchuk.

Speaking to the media after the forced removal of Sonam Wangchuk from the Jantar Mantar protest site, Ms Angmo said if Mr Wangchuk won’t be able to join the protest march on July 20, she would lead the same. “Just yesterday evening, doctors from Safdarjung Hospital had checked him, and all his vitals were normal. But now they’re telling us his potassium has dropped and it’s life-threatening. But when we asked to see the report, they are not giving it to us,” she alleged.

Posting visuals from inside the Safdarjung Hospital, the CJP alleged that Sonam Wangchuk’s medical reports are not being shared with the family. “No personal lawyers or doctors are allowed to meet (him)”.

The medical superintendent of the Safdarjung hospital Dr Charu Bamba, later said, “Sonam Wangchuk is somewhat weak due to prolonged fasting and is experiencing mild dehydration; otherwise, all his vital parameters are stable. He is being continuously examined and monitored, and his treatment is underway. He is fully alert and stable.”

Speaking to the media, DCP New Delhi, Sachin Sharma alleged that there was some obstruction by protesters when doctors arrived today morning for the daily scheduled medical examination of Sonam Wangchuk.

“This created some commotion, also considering the delicate health condition of Wangchuk and on medical advice, he was taken to Safdarjung Hospital for medical examination and further intervention as required. Further, doctors have examined and assessed the health condition of Wangchuk, where they have opined that due to prolonged fasting, he is weak and has signs of dehydration. He is under observation,” he added.

A meeting of senior Delhi Police officers was held at the DCP Office in New Delhi to review the law and order situation following the forced removal of Mr Wangchuk from Jantar Mantar to Safdarjung Hospital. Special Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Devesh Chandra Srivastava chaired the meeting and took stock of the operation to shift Mr Wangchuk to the hospital. He also reviewed the prevailing situation at Jantar Mantar and assessed the overall law and order arrangements in the area.

The meeting was attended by Joint Commissioner of Police (New Delhi Range) Deepak Purohit, DCP (New Delhi) Sachin Sharma, Additional DCP Anand Mishra, DCP (Special Cell) Manishi Chandra, and several other senior IPS officers.

The CJP founder Dipke’s father Bhagwan Dipke, expressed concern over his son sitting on an indefinite fast and asked how the government could be so “merciless” to the students who are Indian nationals, and not Pakistanis. Claiming that students are on indefinite hunger strikes in various parts of the country, Bhagwan Dipke wondered whether the government was waiting for someone to die.

He accused the government of not listening to demands raised by students and threatened to join his son’s indefinite fast. “As a father, I am concerned about Abhijeet. I pray that God should give wisdom to Narendra Modi, who is sitting on the throne, so that better sense prevails and the government listens to the agitating students. In various parts of the country, students are on a hunger strike.

“Is the government waiting for someone to die? How many people should die for them? He has no mercy. If he is a human being, he should listen to the students,” Bhagwan Dipke said while targeting the prime minister. He added that if the government doesn’t listen to students, “we will also go to the agitation site and launch a hunger strike in Delhi.”