Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday broke his silence on the alleged removal of activist Sonam Wangchuk from Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, accusing the Narendra Modi government of suppressing peaceful protests.
Rahul shared a post on
Linking the issue to students’ concerns, Rahul said paper leakage, rising education costs and student suicides were among the most pressing challenges facing the country. He stressed that “no amount of force” can stop India’s students, or those who stand with them, from raising these issues, referring to the Congress Party’s support for the Wangchuk protest.
Follow live updates of Sonam Wangchuk in hospital here
Delhi Police say they “maintained utmost restraint” while Wangchuk was taken to hospital
On the morning of July 18, Delhi Police transferred activist Sonam Wangchuk to Delhi’s Safdarjung Hospital for health reasons. Police said the move was taken in compliance with the Delhi High Court’s directive, which asks authorities to ensure Wangchuk gets proper medical care in case his health deteriorates.
The police said in a statement: “Based on the orders of the Supreme Court and on expert medical advice, due to the deteriorating health condition of Sonam Wangchuk, he was transferred to hospital to receive basic medical care. While complying with the orders of the Supreme Court, the protesters attempted to create obstruction, which resulted in a minor commotion. However, the police maintained utmost restraint and carried out the exercise safely.”
Read also | Video: A woman throws ink at Abhijit Debaki while he is on hunger strike after Sonam Wangchuk was “removed”
CJP says Delhi Police ‘kidnapped’ Wangchuk
However, the CJP disputed the police’s account and maintained that there was no significant deterioration in Wangchuk’s health on the 21st day of his hunger strike. The party described his hospitalization as a “kidnapping” by the police. The CJP claimed in a social media post that the government had been “forcibly kidnapped”.
Wangchuk “without his family’s approval” just two days before the group’s planned march to Parliament.
Read also | ‘I’ll drive if Sonam can’t’: Wangchuk’s wife Gitanjali says July 20 march to Parliament continues
CJP spokesman Sourav Das also disputed the police account, saying the Supreme Court had not ordered Wangchuk’s forcible deportation. He questioned the medical justification for Wangchuk’s transfer to the hospital, claiming that no doctor had examined him directly before transferring him, and claimed that the authorities were trying to suppress the protest movement that was gaining momentum.
Wangchuk’s wife says the march to Parliament on July 20 is still ongoing
Gitanjali J. Angmo, Sonam Wangchuk’s wife, said her husband was still on hunger strike and stressed that the scheduled march to Parliament on July 20 would go ahead regardless of his condition. She said that if Wangchuk was unable to participate, she would lead the march in his place.
“Even if Sonam cannot join the march, I will represent him and lead that march, and it will happen on Monday as planned. It is not just that they forcefully brought Sonam here, they can stop it,” she said.
