Delhi police removed activist Sonam Wangchuk from a non-violent hunger strike at Jantar Mantar and transported him to a hospital.
The incident has sparked a political confrontation over the right to peaceful protest and the government's handling of allegations surrounding the NEET exam paper leak.
Wangchuk began his indefinite hunger strike on June 28, 2026 [1]. He sought a formal government response to claims that the NEET examination process had been compromised. By the second day of the strike, which occurred around June 30, 2026 [2], reports surfaced that authorities had restricted basic amenities at the site.
According to reports, Delhi police denied the provision of a portable toilet, and a water supply for the activist [3]. These conditions added to the tension at the protest site before police eventually intervened to move Wangchuk to a medical facility.
Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, condemned the police action. Gandhi said the removal of the activist was an unjustified use of force. He said the move was an attempt to silence a peaceful protest through state power.
Police officials said the removal was conducted for health and safety reasons. However, supporters of the activist maintain that the lack of basic facilities, such as water and sanitation [3], was a deliberate effort to undermine the strike.
The protest remains a focal point for those demanding transparency in India's national testing systems. Wangchuk's removal has shifted the conversation from the specific grievances of the NEET leak to the broader treatment of dissidents in the capital.
“Delhi police removed activist Sonam Wangchuk from a non-violent hunger strike at Jantar Mantar.”
The confrontation highlights a growing tension between the Indian government's security protocols in New Delhi and the constitutional right to peaceful assembly. By framing the police action as an attempt to stifle dissent, opposition leaders are linking the specific issue of exam integrity to a wider narrative of democratic backsliding and the suppression of non-violent activism.
