AAP criticises police action against Sonam Wangchuk, seeks dialogue

The Aam Aadmi Party criticised Delhi Police for shifting Sonam Wangchuk to a hospital, saying the Centre should have engaged in dialogue instead of using force. The party urged the government to address concerns over the country's education and examination system.

New Delhi: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Saturday criticised the shifting of activist Sonam Wangchuk to a hospital by Delhi Police, with party national convenor Arvind Kejriwal saying that the Centre should have engaged in dialogue with him instead of using force.

The party also appealed to students and youth to continue supporting Wangchuk’s agitation and demanded that the Centre address the concerns being raised over the country’s education and examination system instead of suppressing the protest.

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“Such arrogance is not right. Instead of forcibly lifting him, the Central government should have talked to Sonam Wangchuk,” Kejriwal said in a post on X.

He further said that instead of “crushing” the movement, the government should reform the country’s education and examination system.

Former Delhi education minister Manish Sisodia also attacked the Centre over the police action.

“So, this is the solution to paper leaks: Beat up whoever raises their voice against paper leaks and don’t let them raise their voice at all. This is not politics, it is cowardice,” Sisodia said.

Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh alleged that Wangchuk, who had been on an indefinite fast for 21 days, was forcibly shifted to a hospital instead of his demands being addressed.

No representative of the Centre had spoken to the activist during his fast, he said, alleging that the police used force on protesters gathered at Jantar Mantar.

The action was taken ahead of the Cockroach Janta Party’s proposed march to Parliament on July 20, he pointed out, and appealed to the youth to continue supporting Wangchuk’s agitation.

Singh said attempts to suppress the movement through police action would not succeed.

AAP Delhi president Saurabh Bharadwaj said police personnel in civil clothes entered the protest site with white bedsheets to block camera views, claiming that this was done to prevent any alleged manhandling of Wangchuk and other protesters from being captured on video.

AAP MLA Sanjeev Jha, in a post on X, said that governments with authoritarian tendencies fear mass movements, but such movements cannot be brought to an end through force or intimidation.

According to Delhi Police, Wangchuk was shifted to the hospital following expert medical advice due to his deteriorating health condition and in compliance with the directions of the Delhi High Court.

“As per High Court orders and on expert medical advice, due to the deteriorating health condition of Sonam Wangchuk, he has been shifted to a government hospital for essential medical care. While complying with the High Court orders, the protesters tried to create an obstruction, during which a slight commotion ensued. However, police exercised maximum restraint and undertook the exercise safely,” the police statement said.

Wangchuk and three activists from the All India Students’ Association (AISA) have been on an indefinite hunger strike since June 28 in support of the Cockroach Janta Party-led protest at Jantar Mantar over alleged irregularities in the NEET examination and the reported deaths of students linked to the controversy.

Their health has been on a steady decline over the last three weeks.

The Delhi High Court has directed that Wangchuk’s health be regularly assessed and that appropriate medical intervention be provided if required.

On Friday, doctors said he had lost nearly 9.5 kg since the beginning of the hunger strike, though Wangchuk maintained that he would continue the fast despite his worsening condition.

AISA members Neha, Aameen and Manish, however, continued their hunger strike at the protest site on Saturday, with the organisation claiming that protesters formed a human chain to prevent police from removing them.