As activist Sonam Wangchuk continues his hunger strike from a hospital in Gurugram, his wife Gitanjali Angmu has questioned the recent Congress protest near Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence, saying it has failed to reflect real support for the ongoing students’ movement against paper leaks.
In an interview with India Today, Angmo said political leaders should have joined the protesting students at Jantar Mantar in Delhi instead of holding a demonstration outside the Prime Minister’s residence. She also noted that Wangchuk’s public image is being used for political purposes, stressing that people can distinguish between sincere and symbolic gestures.
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“The protest outside the Prime Minister’s residence lacked sincerity. The public cannot be fooled anymore. This is a woke India. Those who are not sincere will be driven out by the youth,” Angmo, a social entrepreneur and educationist, told the news channel.
Her remarks came after Rahul Gandhi and several senior Congress leaders staged a sit-in near the Prime Minister’s Residence No. 7 on Lok Kalyan Marg on July 21 over police action against students during their parliamentary march. The protest ended with the arrest of Rahul Gandhi and other Congress leaders after police removed them from the site.
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Sonam Wangchuk, who was taken from the Jantar Mantar protest site to hospital last week, continued his hunger strike there. His fast entered its twenty-sixth day on Thursday.
Appeals against linking student protests to violence
Separately, Angmo also appealed the linking of the Jantar Mantar protest to the violent incidents in Delhi without evidence. In a post on X, she said the students’ demonstration remained peaceful and expressed concern about what she described as attempts to damage their image.
“As a teacher, I find it extremely painful to watch the image of our students being distorted in the media. The students’ protest is being held peacefully at Jantar Mantar. If there are reports of violence elsewhere in Delhi, please do not rush to attribute them to this movement without evidence,” she said.
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She also questioned the approach to the protesters, saying: “I often wonder, what kind of system is so quick to distrust its students? Why is it easier to question their intentions than to listen to their concerns?”
“Our children deserve to be protected, not portrayed as villains,” she added, calling for students to be treated fairly. “And their voices deserve to be heard, not drowned out by narratives that serve special interests.”
Tight security remained at Jantar Mantar with a police contingent deployed at the site, a day after tensions rose again amid the ongoing protest led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP). The DMRC said on Thursday that 16 metro stations were closed from 7.30 am until further instructions. These include Rajiv Chowk, Mandi House, Central Secretariat and Supreme Court metro stations. The previous day DMRC also closed 16 metro stations.
