Sonam Wangchuk was hospitalized by Delhi Police after his health deteriorated during a 20-day hunger strike at Jantar Mantar. He was protesting alleged NEET exam irregularities and demanding the Education Minister's resignation. Police removed him from the protest site amid tensions with supporters, just days before a planned march to Parliament.
Climate activist and education reform campaigner Sonam Wangchuk was taken to hospital by Delhi Police on Saturday after spending more than 20 days on an indefinite hunger strike at Delhi's Jantar Mantar. His removal from the protest site sparked tense scenes, with supporters raising slogans and attempting to stop police personnel as Wangchuk was escorted to an ambulance. Authorities said the decision was taken after his health deteriorated significantly following nearly three weeks without food.
Wangchuk has been participating in an indefinite fast since June 28 in support of the Cockroach Janta Party's protest demanding accountability over alleged irregularities in the NEET examination and seeking the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Throughout the protest, doctors repeatedly warned that prolonged fasting could result in serious complications, including organ damage, as the activist reportedly lost around 9 kg during the strike.
Despite growing appeals from political leaders, well-wishers and supporters asking him to end the fast, Wangchuk had remained firm on continuing the protest. In a video shared before his removal, he urged people not to ask him to break the hunger strike, saying, "Even if I eat, what will change and what message will go?" He instead appealed to citizens to join the planned march to Parliament on July 20.
A day earlier, Wangchuk had struck a determined yet humorous tone despite his declining health. He declared, "I will stay alive by any means until July 20 so that I can march to Parliament with all of you. And if our march doesn't succeed on July 20, then I'll come back as a ghost!" His remarks quickly went viral across social media, with supporters praising his resolve while expressing concern about his worsening condition.
Visuals from Jantar Mantar showed police removing Wangchuk amid emotional scenes as protesters surrounded the ambulance and shouted slogans. Several supporters alleged that the activist was taken away against his wishes, while police maintained that the intervention was necessary because of his fragile medical condition. The incident has intensified the political debate surrounding the ongoing agitation and renewed attention on the protesters' demands.
Wangchuk's hospitalisation comes just two days before the proposed Parliament march that he had repeatedly urged supporters to attend. It remains unclear whether he will be medically fit to participate or whether the protest will continue in its current form. As questions mount over the handling of the agitation, his removal from Jantar Mantar has become the latest flashpoint in a protest that has drawn nationwide attention.
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