News summary produced by Claude AI
Sonam Wangchuk, a 59-year-old activist and educationist, was removed from a protest site in Delhi and transported to Safdarjung Hospital on Saturday morning after conducting a hunger strike lasting 20 days. Wangchuk had been demonstrating in support of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), an online satirical movement advocating for educational reforms in India. During his fast, which consisted of only salt and water consumption, he lost more than 9kg and experienced significant physical deterioration.
The removal occurred as police and paramilitary personnel arrived at the protest venue, Jantar Mantar, a historic observatory dating back 300 years. Video footage showed dozens of uniformed personnel approaching the stage where Wangchuk was resting, with protesters attempting to intervene before being pushed back. Officials covered the activist with bedsheets before placing him in an ambulance. According to hospital officials, Wangchuk remained fully alert and stable upon admission, though exhibiting weakness from prolonged fasting and mild dehydration. A deputy police commissioner stated the action was undertaken in compliance with a Delhi High Court order issued on Thursday that directed the federal government to monitor Wangchuk’s health and provide medical treatment as necessary.
The CJP movement, which began in May, emerged in response to examination irregularities and paper leaks affecting India’s major entrance exams. The group has demanded the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan following the cancellation of a key medical entrance examination in early May. Following Wangchuk’s removal, CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke initiated his own indefinite fast and announced that the planned march to parliament on July 20 would proceed regardless. Dipke expanded the group’s demands to include the resignation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, citing the forced hospitalization as unjustifiable state action. Opposition lawmakers condemned the removal as an assault on democratic processes and called for government engagement with protesters, while the administration has not yet responded to their demands.
Wangchuk had previously expressed determination to participate in the scheduled parliamentary march despite his weakened condition, stating he remained “strong from within” despite external frailty. His wife has requested that no medical treatment be administered without consent from family members and his independent medical team. The activist’s removal marks an escalation in tensions between the protest movement and government authorities, with civil society leaders and political opposition figures urging the administration to address protester concerns through dialogue rather than coercive measures.