Sonam Wangchuk's wife questions police presence at Medanta: If 'not under detention…'

Activist Sonam Wangchuk’s wife Gitanjali J Angmo alleged that police officials were present “everywhere” at the Medanta hospital, where the activist has been admitted.

Sharing visuals on X, Angmo asked, “If the Court has clarified that he is not under detention, then under what authority is this happening?”

She claimed, “At both Safdarjung and now Medanta, police are everywhere. At the main gate. The reception. The lifts. Outside @Wangchuk66’s ICU. They decide who may or may not meet him.”

Wangchuk’s wife even questioned, “In an enlightened democracy, is the role of the police to protect citizens and uphold the law, or to control citizens on behalf of those in power? These are questions every Indian should be asking.”

Wangchuk ended his 26-day hunger strike on Friday after receiving a written assurance from the Union Government regarding the NEET examination issue and systemic reforms in the country's competitive testing framework.

Wangchuk, wife hit out at critics

On Friday, Angmo urged people to show compassion towards her husband, saying he was in the ICU after losing 11 kg during the fast.

"Before you rush to criticise Sonam Wangchuk, first pause to earn the ethos of fasting for 26 days for a cause larger than yourself. He lies in the ICU today, having lost 11 kg, including muscle mass, because he chose sacrifice over comfort," she had said in a post on X.

Wangchuk, in a video message shared on social media on Friday, also hit out at critics questioning his decision to end the hunger strike and said he should not have to seek a "character certificate" to prove his commitment to the cause.

"After 26 days of fasting for the sake of students, losing 11 kilograms of body weight in which I have also lost muscle mass and my organs and brain reached the verge of irreversible damage... do I have to seek a character certificate from anyone about how sacred my fast was, about whose hands I broke it at, or whether I made a deal or not?" he said.

Wangchuk ended his hunger strike in the presence of Union Ministers JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh at Medanta Hospital on Friday.

In a video posted on YouTube late Friday night, Wangchuk alleged that after being taken to Safdarjung Hospital on July 18, he was treated "like a prisoner", claiming he was denied free movement, prevented from meeting visitors and not allowed to keep a mobile phone or laptop.

"It was like being in North Korea," Wangchuk said, alleging that even after the Delhi High Court allowed him to shift to Medanta Hospital, he was prevented from leaving Safdarjung Hospital for several hours.

He also rejected allegations that he had compromised with the government.

"Last night, around midnight, I was told the ministers had agreed to give the assurance in writing. I was in a hurry because the situation in Delhi was such; there was apprehension that a major crackdown could happen.

Responding to criticism over ending his fast in the presence of Union ministers, Wangchuk said those questioning his decision were unaware of the circumstances he faced after being shifted from the protest site.

"If I had to make a deal, would I have remained hungry for 26 days? Could I not have struck a deal sitting in an air-conditioned room instead of fasting in Delhi's heat?" he asked.

Meanwhile, the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) said its agitation will continue until Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigns.

Earlier in the day, CJP activist Ashutosh Ranka alleged that Delhi Police were preventing people from sending food and assisting demonstrators at the party's protest site at Jantar Mantar.

"Dear Delhi Police, do whatever you want. You cannot stop people from coming to Jantar Mantar. You cannot stop people from having food. You cannot stop people from helping us. Most importantly, you cannot stop Pradhan's resignation. He is going," Ranka said in a post on X.

After a nearly two-hour meeting with Union Ministers JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh on Friday, CJP representatives claimed that the government had sought time till Saturday afternoon to deliberate on their demand for Pradhan's resignation.