Opposition MPs denied meet with Sonam Wangchuk, allege 'tyranny'

Opposition MPs were barred from meeting activist Sonam Wangchuk at a Gurugram hospital, where they sought to deliver a letter from 55 MPs urging him to end his fast. The MPs alleged 'tyranny' as BJP leaders had been allowed to meet him.

Opposition MPs Stopped From Meeting Sonam Wangchuk

Opposition MPs submitted their letter to Sonam Wangchuk's wife, Gitanjali Angmo, urging him to end his indefinite fast, after police did not allow them to meet the activist at Medanta Hospital in Gurugram. AAP MP Sanjay Singh said that 15 MPs from the Samajwadi Party, RJD, CPI(M), JMM, BJD, and AAP were not allowed to meet Sonam Wangchuk to submit a letter signed by 55 MPs. He slammed the Centre, alleging "tyranny" and stating that the Union Ministers JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh were allowed to meet Wangchuk, while the Opposition MPs were stopped.

Sanjay Singh told reporters outside Medanta Hospital, "Look at the tyranny. First time you might be witnessing that the police is stopping someone from meeting a patient in the hospital. We came to meet Sonam Wangchuk, who is admitted to the hospital. 55 MPs signed the letter, asking him to end his fast. Do they want Sonam Wangchuk to die? This letter states that you should break your fast. Considering your health and the importance of your life, you should not continue your fast."

"Sonam Wangchuk had said that if the country's MPs reassure us, he can break his fast. We're not allowed to deliver this letter, not allowed to meet him. JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh met him, and so many MPs from the opposition have come, yet they will not let them meet him. We are 15 MPs from Samajwadi Party, RJD, CPI(M), JMM, BJD, and AAP," he added.

RJD MP Sanjay Yadav said, "BJP leaders will go, opposition leaders will not. They are manhandling the Members of Parliament. They don't even know the basic protocol. We are asking the police to show us in return whether the administration stopped you or who stopped you."

Samajwadi Party MP Priya Saroj asked the police to show the medical protocol being cited to stop the MPs. "We will remain sitting until we get an opportunity to meet him, and whether it is night or morning, we will go only after meeting him. Show us this medical protocol. Many leaders came before us; you let them go, and medical protocol came for us, and the attitude of the police towards us was very wrong, and we will sit here until we get an opportunity to meet," Saroj said.

Sonam Wangchuk's Conditions to End Fast

Activist Sonam Wangchuk had earlier today demanded the Centre's assurance for no "punitive or retaliatory legal action" against protestors who joined the Cockroach Janata Party's 'Sansad Chalo' protest, as a condition for ending his indefinite fast. Sonam Wangchuk has entered the 25th day of his indefinite fast, which began with the demand of resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmandra Pradhan over the NEET-UG paper leak.

In a statement issued on X, Sonam Wangchuk maintained that the protestors did not commit any offence by participating in the movement. He wrote, "Therefore, I respectfully request an unequivocal assurance from the Government that none of the young protesters will face any punitive or retaliatory legal action for participating in this movement. Their only 'offence' has been to raise their voice for a fair and accountable education system."

"If such an assurance is given, I shall end my fast with faith that the Government has heard not only my appeal but also the aspirations of lakhs of young Indians. In the absence of such an assurance, I will be forced to continue my fast indefinitely. I also hope that there will be no further use of excessive police force to repress the movement," he added.

Legal Action Following Protests

The Delhi Police has registered as many as 10 FIRs in connection with the protests organised by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) in the national capital.

The Delhi High Court has, meanwhile, issued notice to the Centre and the Delhi Police on three public interest litigations alleging excessive use of force by police during the protest and directed the authorities to preserve CCTV footage and all other relevant electronic records relating to the incident. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)