Delhi police moved activist Sonam Wangchuk from the Jantar Mantar protest site to Safdarjung Hospital on Saturday morning [1].
The incident marks a flashpoint in Wangchuk's protest against the Union Education Minister, Dharmendra Pradhan, whom he wants to see resign over alleged exam-paper leaks [2].
Wangchuk began his indefinite hunger strike on June 28, 2024 [3]. By the time police intervened on July 18, 2026, he had reached the 21st day of his fast [4]. Video evidence recorded on July 17, 2024, showed Wangchuk opposing the idea of being hospitalized while continuing his protest [5].
Abhijeet Dipke, founder of the Cockroach Janata Party, described the scene as chaotic. Dipke said police shifted Wangchuk to the hospital despite the activist's refusal to go [1]. During the operation, Dipke said he was beaten and put under detention [6].
Police said the move was necessary for health reasons. However, supporters of the activist characterized the police action as an attempt to disrupt the protest. Dipke said, "He's not a criminal" [6].
Wangchuk's condition had become a central concern for his supporters. Dipke said doctors had issued a grim warning regarding Wangchuk's health [7]. The transfer to Safdarjung Hospital occurred as tensions peaked between the protesting group and local law enforcement, an encounter that resulted in the detention of several associates.
“He's not a criminal.”
The forced hospitalization of a hunger striker creates a legal and ethical tension between a state's duty to preserve life and an individual's right to bodily autonomy during political protest. By removing Wangchuk from Jantar Mantar, the authorities effectively ended the physical presence of the protest's focal point, potentially diffusing the immediate gathering while intensifying the narrative of state coercion.
