Synopsis

Delhi Police on Saturday, 21st day of the indefinite hunger strike, removed activist Sonam Wangchuk from the Jantar Mantar protest camp and transferred him to Safdarjung Hospital in early hours of the day. The action came on an application filed by the High Court of Delhi due to his poor health. Police claimed the operation was conducted in a measured manner despite protesters trying to block it, but claimed that a heavier-handed operation was being used by protesters.

Operation Carried Out Before Daybreak

The engineer and education reformer, Sonam Wangchuk, of Ladakh, was whisked away from Jantar Mantar by the Delhi Police officers before 8 am on Saturday, ending a swift he unleashed on June 28. The activist was also observing the strike along with the Cockroach Janta Party's (CJP) protest against the claimed irregularities in the NEET exam and calling for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

This action was taken after the Delhi High Court gave directions and the advice of a team of medical officers, said the Deputy Commissioner of Police, New Delhi. While the police said that there was some resistance at the scene, they said that they were being restrained throughout. 

Barricades and Heavy Toop Deployment

Digital outlet Newslaundry recorded witness statements, including one of a large barricade being set up overnight, and a large police force being assembled by 9 AM, in contrast with the previous evening. 

When the operation was carried out, protesters said they were mistreated, including one bystander who reported being dragged apart and injured by police trying to stop the violence, a claim which Delhi Police did not expressly substantiate.

https://res.cloudinary.com/dft7kdsw6/video/upload/v1784381776/trymqm4ic1uzqcogqcwb.mp4

Delhi Police on Saturday, 21st day of the indefinite hunger strike, removed activist Sonam Wangchuk from the Jantar Mantar protest camp and transferred him to Safdarjung Hospital in early hours of the day. The action came on an application filed by the High Court of Delhi due to his poor health. Police claimed the operation was conducted in a measured manner despite protesters trying to block it, but claimed that a heavier-handed operation was being used by protesters.

The engineer and education reformer, Sonam Wangchuk, of Ladakh, was whisked away from Jantar Mantar by the Delhi Police officers before 8 am on Saturday, ending a swift he unleashed on June 28. The activist was also observing the strike along with the Cockroach Janta Party's (CJP) protest against the claimed irregularities in the NEET exam and calling for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

This action was taken after the Delhi High Court gave directions and the advice of a team of medical officers, said the Deputy Commissioner of Police, New Delhi. While the police said that there was some resistance at the scene, they said that they were being restrained throughout. 

Digital outlet Newslaundry recorded witness statements, including one of a large barricade being set up overnight, and a large police force being assembled by 9 AM, in contrast with the previous evening. 

When the operation was carried out, protesters said they were mistreated, including one bystander who reported being dragged apart and injured by police trying to stop the violence, a claim which Delhi Police did not expressly substantiate.

https://res.cloudinary.com/dft7kdsw6/video/upload/v1784381776/trymqm4ic1uzqcogqcwb.mp4

Delhi Police Remove Wangchuk From Protest Site

Synopsis

Saturday's visuals from Jantar Mantar had Abhijeet Dipke, leader of the Cockroach Janta Party, visibly emotional immediately after he was taken away by Delhi police from the protest site. It arrived when it was time for Dipke to assume the reins of the fast, during an “assault on the momentum of the movement”, as Dipke put it.

Emotion Amid the Chaos

Dipke says he had left the site for a brief time when the cops arrived to perform the operation and when he returned, Wangchuk was no longer there. He claimed that the activist was dragged away, which was denied by the Delhi Police that said it acted in a “restrained manner” as directed by the Delhi High Court.

The police personnel arrived here at 7 am, when I had gone out to refresh myself and was dragged away and hurled abuses at by Abhijeet Dipke, founder of CJP, in remarks made to the reporters.

A Movement Regroups

Although visibly upset, Dipke hurried to declare his own indefinite hunger strike, stating to his supporters that “the protest will continue” and the planned march to Parliament on July 20 is still on. Police declined to state which charges of assault Dipke had levelled.

Saturday's visuals from Jantar Mantar had Abhijeet Dipke, leader of the Cockroach Janta Party, visibly emotional immediately after he was taken away by Delhi police from the protest site. It arrived when it was time for Dipke to assume the reins of the fast, during an “assault on the momentum of the movement”, as Dipke put it.

Dipke says he had left the site for a brief time when the cops arrived to perform the operation and when he returned, Wangchuk was no longer there. He claimed that the activist was dragged away, which was denied by the Delhi Police that said it acted in a “restrained manner” as directed by the Delhi High Court.

The police personnel arrived here at 7 am, when I had gone out to refresh myself and was dragged away and hurled abuses at by Abhijeet Dipke, founder of CJP, in remarks made to the reporters.

Although visibly upset, Dipke hurried to declare his own indefinite hunger strike, stating to his supporters that “the protest will continue” and the planned march to Parliament on July 20 is still on. Police declined to state which charges of assault Dipke had levelled.

Dipke Seen In Tears After Wangchuk's Removal

Synopsis

Fresh unrest erupted on Saturday afternoon at Jantar Mantar with a woman throwing liquid that looked like ink at the founder of the Cockroach Janta Party Abhijeet Dipke as he addressed his supporters. The incident happened hours after Sonam Wangchuk's removal from the site, before he was detained by cops.

A Sudden Disruption

The episode was played as Dipke was talking to a crowd that had gathered after the morning's discussions. The noise spread as supporters ran towards the stage as visuals show, reports PTI. Police have said they have detained the woman involved, but at the time of reporting, she hasn't been identified and the motive remains unknown.

https://res.cloudinary.com/dft7kdsw6/video/upload/v1784384659/jougermuob0v4pnbceqx.mp4

After the incident, Abhijeet Dipke, the founder of CJP, had responded on social media which reads as “Blue is my colour”.

Investigation Under Way

Police stated an investigation into the circumstances of the attack was underway. The operation that had already happened in the early hours of the morning, when Wangchuk had been rushed to Safdarjung Hospital, was followed by the other indefinite hunger strike announcement from Dipke at the protest camp, which had already become a chaotic affair.

Fresh unrest erupted on Saturday afternoon at Jantar Mantar with a woman throwing liquid that looked like ink at the founder of the Cockroach Janta Party Abhijeet Dipke as he addressed his supporters. The incident happened hours after Sonam Wangchuk's removal from the site, before he was detained by cops.

The episode was played as Dipke was talking to a crowd that had gathered after the morning's discussions. The noise spread as supporters ran towards the stage as visuals show, reports PTI. Police have said they have detained the woman involved, but at the time of reporting, she hasn't been identified and the motive remains unknown.

https://res.cloudinary.com/dft7kdsw6/video/upload/v1784384659/jougermuob0v4pnbceqx.mp4

After the incident, Abhijeet Dipke, the founder of CJP, had responded on social media which reads as “Blue is my colour”.

Police stated an investigation into the circumstances of the attack was underway. The operation that had already happened in the early hours of the morning, when Wangchuk had been rushed to Safdarjung Hospital, was followed by the other indefinite hunger strike announcement from Dipke at the protest camp, which had already become a chaotic affair.

Ink Thrown at Dipke Amid Jantar Mantar Unrest

Synopsis

Opposition leaders across parties condemned the removal of activist Sonam Wangchuk from the Jantar Mantar protest site on Saturday, describing the police action as an avoidable escalation. Congress's Rahul Gandhi, AAP's Arvind Kejriwal and Shiv Sena (UBT)'s Uddhav Thackeray were among those who called for the government to engage with protesters rather than resort to force.

A Chorus of Criticism

Rahul Gandhi termed the removal of a man observing a non-violent fast as fundamentally wrong, linking it to what he described as the government's broader conduct.

https://res.cloudinary.com/dft7kdsw6/image/upload/v1784383462/mhjpoijuqdqtfflbktpw.png

"The removal of Sonam Wangchuk ji from Jantar Mantar while he was on a non-violent hunger strike is wrong," — Rahul Gandhi, Congress MP, in a post on X.

https://res.cloudinary.com/dft7kdsw6/image/upload/v1784385822/uykuwjohmsfgayt0tzt6.png

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said, “Be it Professor G.D. Agarwal, who sat on a fast-unto-death for 111 days to save Mother Ganga, or the Olympic wrestlers from Haryana; Be it our 750 farmers who feed the nation, Dalits and Adivasis, or the 25 youths and their families who fell victim to exam paper leaks; this authoritarian government has spared no one.” In their eyes, anyone who raises their voice is branded ‘anti-national’ or a ‘parasite’,” Kharge said, slamming the BJP-led government.

https://res.cloudinary.com/dft7kdsw6/image/upload/v1784386186/xknbqwbvqzi82hjwjpvc.png

The people of our country and the entire world are currently looking at the BJP Government with suspicious eyes full of doubts and questions. This undesirable action of the BJP government, which does repressive politics, has tarnished and fragmented the humanitarian and democratic image of our country at the International stage.

https://res.cloudinary.com/dft7kdsw6/image/upload/v1784386339/ptfviauhljquqgjlkvat.png

Kejriwal argued that dialogue, not force, should have guided the government's response, urging reforms to the examination system rather than a crackdown on the demonstration. AAP colleagues Sanjay Singh and Saurabh Bharadwaj separately alleged that police personnel had entered the site in plain clothes, an allegation authorities did not confirm in detail.

https://res.cloudinary.com/dft7kdsw6/image/upload/v1784386398/yq9cjqbenawm8ujios7s.png

Speaking to reporters at Nagpur airport, Thackeray condemned the Centre's handling of the matter, calling the removal shameful and questioning the government's regard for citizens' welfare amid the wider protest over the NEET paper leak controversy.

Opposition leaders across parties condemned the removal of activist Sonam Wangchuk from the Jantar Mantar protest site on Saturday, describing the police action as an avoidable escalation. Congress's Rahul Gandhi, AAP's Arvind Kejriwal and Shiv Sena (UBT)'s Uddhav Thackeray were among those who called for the government to engage with protesters rather than resort to force.

Rahul Gandhi termed the removal of a man observing a non-violent fast as fundamentally wrong, linking it to what he described as the government's broader conduct.

https://res.cloudinary.com/dft7kdsw6/image/upload/v1784383462/mhjpoijuqdqtfflbktpw.png

"The removal of Sonam Wangchuk ji from Jantar Mantar while he was on a non-violent hunger strike is wrong," — Rahul Gandhi, Congress MP, in a post on X.

https://res.cloudinary.com/dft7kdsw6/image/upload/v1784385822/uykuwjohmsfgayt0tzt6.png

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said, “Be it Professor G.D. Agarwal, who sat on a fast-unto-death for 111 days to save Mother Ganga, or the Olympic wrestlers from Haryana; Be it our 750 farmers who feed the nation, Dalits and Adivasis, or the 25 youths and their families who fell victim to exam paper leaks; this authoritarian government has spared no one.” In their eyes, anyone who raises their voice is branded ‘anti-national’ or a ‘parasite’,” Kharge said, slamming the BJP-led government.

https://res.cloudinary.com/dft7kdsw6/image/upload/v1784386186/xknbqwbvqzi82hjwjpvc.png

The people of our country and the entire world are currently looking at the BJP Government with suspicious eyes full of doubts and questions. This undesirable action of the BJP government, which does repressive politics, has tarnished and fragmented the humanitarian and democratic image of our country at the International stage.

https://res.cloudinary.com/dft7kdsw6/image/upload/v1784386339/ptfviauhljquqgjlkvat.png

Kejriwal argued that dialogue, not force, should have guided the government's response, urging reforms to the examination system rather than a crackdown on the demonstration. AAP colleagues Sanjay Singh and Saurabh Bharadwaj separately alleged that police personnel had entered the site in plain clothes, an allegation authorities did not confirm in detail.

https://res.cloudinary.com/dft7kdsw6/image/upload/v1784386398/yq9cjqbenawm8ujios7s.png

Speaking to reporters at Nagpur airport, Thackeray condemned the Centre's handling of the matter, calling the removal shameful and questioning the government's regard for citizens' welfare amid the wider protest over the NEET paper leak controversy.

Opposition Leaders Slam Action Against Wangchuk

Synopsis

News of Sonam Wangchuk's ouster from the Jantar Mantar got immediate responses from Mumbai where the Cockroach Janta Party had been holding solidarity demonstrations at Azad Maidan for a week. In the city, student activists and public figures condemned the police action, arguing in a letter to the police that it represented a blow to the movements' wider struggle for examination reforms.

A City Already Mobilised

Photographs (distributed by IANS) showed that CJP supporters had staged a peaceful demonstration at Azad Maidan in Mumbai on July 16, in support of Wangchuk's fast. 

After the events in Delhi on Saturday, the activists in the capital picked up their protest again on Monday, echoing with student activists protesting against the irregularities in the NEET exam in the capital demanding accountability.

Public Figures Add Their Voices To The Movement

Most vocal voices against the government's handling of the situation were from Mumbai, including musician Vishal Dadlani and actor Prakash Raj. In a video uploaded to social media, Dadlani calls the removal "a thing that put me in a lot of trouble".

"Have you ever seen such cowardice? They forcefully took away Sonam ji," — Vishal Dadlani, musician, in a social media statement.

Prakash Raj, who also boycotted the event, had earlier blamed the Union government for not holding talks with the young protesters, while several student organisers who took part in marches across the city on Saturday said they shared that view.

News of Sonam Wangchuk's ouster from the Jantar Mantar got immediate responses from Mumbai where the Cockroach Janta Party had been holding solidarity demonstrations at Azad Maidan for a week. In the city, student activists and public figures condemned the police action, arguing in a letter to the police that it represented a blow to the movements' wider struggle for examination reforms.

Photographs (distributed by IANS) showed that CJP supporters had staged a peaceful demonstration at Azad Maidan in Mumbai on July 16, in support of Wangchuk's fast. 

After the events in Delhi on Saturday, the activists in the capital picked up their protest again on Monday, echoing with student activists protesting against the irregularities in the NEET exam in the capital demanding accountability.

Public Figures Add Their Voices To The Movement

Most vocal voices against the government's handling of the situation were from Mumbai, including musician Vishal Dadlani and actor Prakash Raj. In a video uploaded to social media, Dadlani calls the removal "a thing that put me in a lot of trouble".

"Have you ever seen such cowardice? They forcefully took away Sonam ji," — Vishal Dadlani, musician, in a social media statement.

Prakash Raj, who also boycotted the event, had earlier blamed the Union government for not holding talks with the young protesters, while several student organisers who took part in marches across the city on Saturday said they shared that view.

Mumbai Witnesses Protests Over Wangchuk's Removal

Synopsis

In a complaint, Gitanjali J Angmo, wife of activist Sonam Wangchuk, has said that he had been admitted on the 21st day of his hunger strike at Safdarjung Hospital, which did not provide her with the medical reports and allowed no second opinion. She has officially filed for his discharge, accusing him of mistreating her and causing her to lose trust in the hospital.

Two conflicting readings of vital signs

Angmo had written to the hospital's Medical Superintendent, saying that, as of Friday evening, Wangchuk's vitals were normal with her potassium level at 4.3 but had been informed the next day that the level had plummeted. Sources at the hospital also told Business Standard that doctors had observed dehydration and an increase in ketone level which, according to them, could pose metabolic risks if left untreated.

They are not letting me take him to another lab to get a second opinion, nor will they give me his blood sample to take to another lab, — Gitanjali J. Angmo said in a public statement outside the hospital.

A Request for Discharge

In two letters, Angmo told the hospital officials not to give any medication orally or intravenously without her nod, and requested to transfer Wangchuk to another hospital that was preferred by the family. 

Hospital sources said they have been ongoing their advice to the family to allow treatment without delay. Angmo continued to argue it was not time for Wangchuk to be unfit enough to be unable to attend the CJP's march to Parliament planned for July 20.

In a complaint, Gitanjali J Angmo, wife of activist Sonam Wangchuk, has said that he had been admitted on the 21st day of his hunger strike at Safdarjung Hospital, which did not provide her with the medical reports and allowed no second opinion. She has officially filed for his discharge, accusing him of mistreating her and causing her to lose trust in the hospital.

Angmo had written to the hospital's Medical Superintendent, saying that, as of Friday evening, Wangchuk's vitals were normal with her potassium level at 4.3 but had been informed the next day that the level had plummeted. Sources at the hospital also told Business Standard that doctors had observed dehydration and an increase in ketone level which, according to them, could pose metabolic risks if left untreated.

They are not letting me take him to another lab to get a second opinion, nor will they give me his blood sample to take to another lab, — Gitanjali J. Angmo said in a public statement outside the hospital.

In two letters, Angmo told the hospital officials not to give any medication orally or intravenously without her nod, and requested to transfer Wangchuk to another hospital that was preferred by the family. 

Hospital sources said they have been ongoing their advice to the family to allow treatment without delay. Angmo continued to argue it was not time for Wangchuk to be unfit enough to be unable to attend the CJP's march to Parliament planned for July 20.

Delhi Police Remove Wangchuk From Protest Site

Synopsis

Operation Carried Out Before Daybreak

Barricades and Heavy Toop Deployment

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