Rahul Gandhi calls Wangchuk’s removal from protest site ‘wrong’

Rahul Gandhi criticised the removal of activist Sonam Wangchuk from Jantar Mantar during his hunger strike, calling it wrong. Congress termed the police action a blot on democracy, while police cited medical advice and court directions

New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday said the “removal” of activist Sonam Wangchuk from Jantar Mantar while he was on a non-violent hunger strike is “wrong” and alleged that the core tenets of the government are “Asatya and Hinsa (falsehood and violence)”.

The party criticised the police action at Jantar Mantar, after which Wangchuk was shifted, calling it a “blot” on the country’s democracy and the Constitution.

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In a post on X, Gandhi said the core tenets of the Narendra Modi government are “Asatya and Hinsa”. “The removal of Sonam Wangchuk ji from Jantar Mantar while he was on a non-violent hunger strike is wrong,” he said.

Paper leaks, the rising cost of education, and student suicides are critical issues for India’s future, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha said.

No amount of force can deter India’s students, and those of us who love and believe in them, from raising these issues, he said. His remarks came after Wangchuk was shifted to the Safdarjung Hospital early Saturday as his health deteriorated on the 21st day of his indefinite hunger strike at Jantar Mantar, with the police citing medical advice and directions of the Delhi High Court.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) Sachin Sharma told PTI that Wangchuk was hospitalised in accordance with the Delhi High Court’s directions after his health worsened and is receiving the required medical intervention.

Some protesters tried to obstruct the exercise, leading to a brief commotion, but police personnel exercised maximum restraint and completed the operation successfully, it added.

Soon after the police action, Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijit Dipke alleged that the protesters were subjected to a police crackdown. “I have been beaten up and put under detention by Delhi Police,” Dipke said in a post on X.

In a post on X, CJP shared a video of Wangchuk being removed from the protest site in a white sheet. “A frail old man, after 20 days of a hunger strike, was picked up, wrapped in white sheets and taken away by Delhi Police. This is a national shame,” the CJP said.

Wangchuk and the three activists from AISA have been on an indefinite hunger strike since June 28 in support of the CJP-led protest over alleged irregularities in the NEET examination and the reported deaths of students linked to the controversy.

Their health had shown a steady decline over the past three weeks.
The CJP has been holding a protest for over 25 days demanding Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation over alleged irregularities in the NEET examination. Wangchuk joined the agitation on June 28 and has been on an indefinite fast since then. The Congress had already urged Wangchuk to end his hunger fast and said they were concerned about his health.