Rahul Gandhi has termed the police action at Jantar Mantar to take activist Sonam Wangchuk to a hospital following his 20-day hunger strike as “wrong.”
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Sonam Wangchuk Hunger Strike: Rahul Gandhi slams activist’s removal from Jantar Mantar, calls it ‘wrong’ | Image: ANI
Sonam Wangchuk Hunger Strike: Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, on Saturday reacted to the police action at the Jantar Mantar, in which cops took activist Sonam Wangchuk to a hospital following his 20-day hunger strike and termed it ‘wrong’. He said that no force can deter students from their right to protest against the alleged NEET paper leak and student suicides.
Gandhi took to X and wrote, “The core tenets of the Modi government are Asatya (falsehood) and Hinsa (violence). The removal of Sonam Wangchuk ji from Jantar Mantar while he was on a non-violent hunger strike is wrong. Paper leaks, the rising cost of education, and student suicides are critical issues for India’s future. No amount of force can deter India’s students, and those of us who love and believe in them, from raising these issues,” Rahul Gandhi wrote.
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Vishal Dadlani, Prakash Raj slam Sonam Wangchuk’s removal from Jantar Mantar: ‘Dara hua nangapan’
The core tenets of the Modi government are Asatya and Hinsa.
The removal of Sonam Wangchuk ji from Jantar Mantar while he was on a non-violent hunger strike is wrong.
Paper leaks, the rising cost of education, and student suicides are critical issues for India’s future.
No…
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) July 18, 2026
Police Action At Jantar Mantar
On the day 21 of his hunger strike, the Delhi Police on Saturday morning removed activist Sonam Wangchuk from the protest site at Jantar Mantar and took him to a hospital. Wangchuk has been sitting on an indefinite hunger strike against alleged irregularities in the NEET examination.
According to the initial reports, the police has taken Wangchuk to Delhi’s Safdarjung hospital for treatment.
According to the Delhi Police, the action has been taken after the orders of the High Court and on expert medical advice.
#WATCH | Delhi: Activist Sonam Wangchuk, who was sitting on a hunger strike from last 20 days at Jantar Mantar, taken to the hospital by the police.
More details awaited. pic.twitter.com/81DTO3cyh4
— ANI (@ANI) July 18, 2026
“As per orders of High Court and on expert medical advise due to the deteriorating health condition of Sonam Wangchuk, he has been shifted to the hospital for essential medical care…We request the protestors at Jantar Mantar to peacefully vacate the place at the earliest,” Delhi Police said, reported ANI.
DCP New Delhi, Sachin Sharma said, “In compliance with the Honourable High Court’s order, and based on health conditions and medical advice, Mr Sonam Wangchuk has been moved from here to an appropriate government hospital for much-needed medical intervention and is currently under medical supervision.”
Congress Slammed BJP
Congress has called for Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation before the start of the Monsoon Session of Parliament on July 20.
Congress General Secretary (Organisation) KC Venugopal accused the Centre of “breaking a peaceful protest” in “fascist fashion.”
“Instead of removing Dharmendra Pradhan from his post, they removed Sonam Wangchuk ji from his protest site. There was a need for compassion and humanity on the part of the Government, but in true fascist fashion, they chose to break a peaceful protest because the public pressure was mounting on them. This is a highly condemnable act, one which the public will punish at the appropriate moment. The Congress and the entire Opposition will continue our protest in full swing, and we demand that Dharmendra Pradhan be removed from his post as Education Minister before the start of the Monsoon Session of Parliament,” the Congress leader posted on X.
Sonam Wangchuk’s Health Update
Meanwhile, the doctors at the Safdarjung Hospital have found that activist Sonam Wangchuk is facing dehydration, low potassium and rising ketone levels, which can increase during fasting but, when significantly elevated along with dehydration, may pose a risk to kidney function and other metabolic complications.
He is under close medical observation at the hospital after 20 days of prolonged fasting. The hospital authorities are continuously counselling the family to allow treatment to begin without further delay, hospital sources said.
Wangchuk was admitted to VMMC & Safdarjung Hospital at 7:40 am. At the time of admission, he was conscious with a stable pulse, blood pressure and oxygen saturation.
Although intravenous fluids were advised, the patient has refused all intravenous fluids, oral rehydration fluid or any other medication. He is being continuously monitored and counselled for treatment in the best interest of his health.
The police action has drawn criticism from several Opposition leaders, including those from the Congress, Aam Aadmi Party, Samajwadi Party and Trinamool Congress.
The protest at Jantar Mantar is being led by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) and left student organisations, AISA and SFI.
Protest Will Continue
CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke said the protest will continue despite the police action and announced he would continue an indefinite hunger strike. Sonam Wangchuk had announced a march to Parliament on Monday, July 20. However, the CJP has yet to obtain official clearance for the march, news agency ANI reported, citing sources.
(with ANI inputs)
