The Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) on Saturday alleged that climate activist Sonam Wangchuk was forcibly removed from the Jantar Mantar protest site by Delhi Police despite his deteriorating health after 20 days of an indefinite hunger strike.
CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke claimed that police personnel arrived at the protest site early in the morning and took Wangchuk away by force.
"At 7 am, when I stepped out to freshen up, police personnel arrived here. They dragged Sonam Sir away while hurling abuses at him. A 60-year-old man, who had been on a hunger strike for 20 days and hadn't eaten anything, was forcibly dragged away by the Delhi Police," Dipke alleged.
He further alleged that he was assaulted and detained by the police.
"These aren't police officers; they are RSS goons. I had returned to my country from abroad—am I a criminal? They are goons, not police," Dipke told reporters.
Wangchuk began his hunger strike at Jantar Mantar on June 28 as part of the CJP's agitation demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged irregularities in the NEET examination.
Meanwhile, Delhi Police said Wangchuk was shifted to a hospital following the advice of expert doctors and in compliance with the Delhi High Court's directions.
Opposition leaders condemn police action
Several Opposition leaders criticised the police action, accusing the Centre of attempting to silence voices raising concerns over alleged examination paper leaks.
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Manish Sisodia alleged that the government was suppressing protests instead of addressing the issue.
"So, this is the solution Modi ji has given for paper leaks... Beat up with goons whoever raises their voice against paper leaks and don't let them raise their voice at all. This isn't politics; it's cowardice. What a reign of thugs," Sisodia wrote on X.
AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh also condemned the police action, alleging that Wangchuk was forcibly taken away despite being on a prolonged fast.
"What kind of thuggery is this? Modi ji, this arrogance of power doesn't last long. The very youth you're beating with batons will uproot your throne. One person, Wangchuk, who has been on a fast unto death for the past 21 days, instead of listening to his demands, was forcibly taken away and admitted to the hospital," Singh posted on X.
Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Sagarika Ghose also criticised the police action. "What sort of shocking coercive state violence is this? The morally bankrupt Narendra Modi regime only knows how to use the danda. UNACCEPTABLE," she wrote on X.
Samajwadi Party MP Dimple Yadav termed the police action an assault on democracy. "Forcibly removing Sonam Wangchuk is not just an action, but an assault on democracy and the Constitution. The BJP government can no longer tolerate even peaceful protests—this is tyranny," she said in a post on X.
Health concerns mounted before hospitalisation
The police shifted Wangchuk to a hospital a day after doctors warned that his prolonged fast had reached a critical stage. According to a health bulletin issued on Friday, Wangchuk's weight had dropped to 56.55 kg. His blood pressure was recorded at 108/68 mmHg, blood sugar at 80 mg/dL, pulse rate at 72 beats per minute, and oxygen saturation at 96 per cent. Doctors said he showed signs of mild dehydration but remained mentally alert.
Despite his deteriorating health, Wangchuk refused to end his fast, saying that calling it off without any response from the government would send the wrong message. He maintained that the immediate focus should be on making the proposed Parliament march on July 20 a success.
