Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk was shifted to Safdarjung Hospital on Saturday morning after Delhi Police removed him from the Jantar Mantar protest site, where he had been on an indefinite hunger strike for 20 days demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged examination paper leaks and irregularities. The police said the action was taken on medical grounds and in compliance with directions issued by the Delhi High Court after doctors warned that Wangchuk's health had reached a critical stage.
According to officials, police personnel arrived at the protest site in the early hours of Saturday in plain clothes, with officers dressed in blue and white shirts as well as yellow, orange and black T-shirts. Security was tightened around the area before white sheets were erected around the protest stage. Shortly afterwards, Sonam Wangchuk was escorted from the site under the cover of white sheets and taken to Delhi’s Safdarjung Hospital in an ambulance.
The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which has been leading the protest, raised slogans and attempted to prevent the removal, leading to brief commotion at the site. However, Delhi Police said the operation was carried out with restraint.
"Sonam Wangchuk has been shifted to the hospital for essential medical care. While complying with the orders of the Hon'ble High Court the protesters tried to create obstruction, in which slight commotion ensued. Police, however, exercised maximum restraint and undertook the exercise safely," Delhi Police said in a post on X. The police also appealed to the remaining protesters to vacate Jantar Mantar peacefully at the earliest.
Sonam Wangchuk was admitted to the emergency ward at Safdarjung Hospital, where officials said he was conscious and his vital signs were stable. The action came a day after doctors described Wangchuk's condition as a medical emergency, warning that prolonged fasting could lead to organ failure. Earlier health bulletins had said the 59-year-old activist had lost more than eight kilograms since beginning his indefinite fast.
Despite repeated appeals to end his protest, Sonam Wangchuk had maintained that he would continue his hunger strike until 20 July, when protesters are planning a march to Parliament on the opening day of the Monsoon Session. Addressing supporters before his removal, he had reaffirmed his resolve to continue the agitation. "I am weak from the outside but very strong inside. I am sure all of you are strong from the inside, and outside too. We need this energy for July 20, when we will take out a peaceful march to Parliament. We will go together and present our plea in the temple of democracy," he had said. He added, "I will stay alive till July 20 at any cost. If you don't come and July 20 is not successful, I will come back as a ghost."
Meanwhile, The Indian Express, citing unnamed sources, reported that the operation had been meticulously planned in advance. According to the report, police personnel from Delhi's New Delhi district were instructed to assemble at around 3 am on Saturday under the pretext of a security drill ahead of Parliament's Monsoon Session.
The report claimed that officers were later informed at Mandir Marg police station that Wangchuk would be removed from the protest site within 30 seconds. It further alleged that a phone jammer was installed shortly before the operation and that officers erected a white curtain around the protest stage before moving in.
According to The Indian Express, senior officers had also monitored the daily routine of CJP members in the days leading up to the operation. Quoting an unnamed source, the report claimed: "Initially, the routine of all the Cockroach Janta Party members was discussed. They learnt of a small window of some minutes in the morning when Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke went out to a nearby restroom. They decided to pick Wangchuk exactly at that time." The report further alleged that only senior police officers were aware of the full operational plan. Another source quoted by the newspaper claimed: "Within two minutes, he was picked up by four to five policemen and was taken in an ambulance to Safdarjung Hospital. The police then started removing all the protesters. At the same time, a police team stopped Dipke."
Separately, The Indian Express reported that the operation took place a day after the Union Ministry of Home Affairs replaced Delhi Police Commissioner Satish Golchha with Anurag Kumar. The newspaper, citing sources, reported that senior officers met after Kumar assumed charge and preparations for Wangchuk's removal began thereafter. The report also suggested that Golchha's early departure was allegedly linked to the handling of the ongoing protest. However, these claims remain based on unnamed sources cited by The Indian Expresss and have not been independently verified.
