Congressman Imran Masood referred to Sonam Wangchuk as “Anna Hazare Part 2” and said that he too will “remain silent” now that he has finished his fast.
Member of Parliament Imran Masood sparked controversy on Friday after likening climate activist Sonam Wangchuk to social activist Anna Hazare and accusing him of making a “personal” deal with the government while ending his hunger strike.
He described Wangchuk as “Anna Hazare Part 2” and said that he, like Hazare, would now remain “silent”. Masood also questioned why students were not present during Wangchuk’s meeting with the government, claiming that only people from Ladakh attended the discussions. Follow CJP’s live protest updates
“It’s Anna (social activist Anna Hazare) Part 2. Anna has been silent for 12 years, and now Sonam Wangchuk will remain silent. You were making a deal with the government yesterday; at that time, was any student present there? What is there but your personal deal with the government?”
Along with union ministers JP Nadda and Dr Jitendra Singh, senior leaders of the Apex Body of Leh Ladakh were also present when Wangchuk broke his fast on Thursday night.
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It’s a “youth” movement, says Debke.
Masood’s statements sparked sharp criticism from Sarsour Janta Party founder Abhijeet Debke, who said that the protest was a “youth” movement and not a movement led by any opposition party.
When asked whether such statements weakened the movement, Debaki said: “This protest belongs to the youth of the country and not to the opposition parties. This movement will not weaken.”
“I’m upset about not getting credit,” says Poonawalla.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) also launched an attack on Congress, accusing the party of “insulting” Wangchuk and claiming it was upset at not “taking credit”.
BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said Congress leader Rahul Gandhi “never cared” about the students or their protests, and accused him of avoiding discussing the issue in Parliament and pushing MPs to mistreat Wangchuk.
“Congress has crossed all limits, the way they insulted Sonam Wangchuk. Rahul Gandhi never went to Sonam Wangchuk, he was out on vacation for 21 days and never cared about the students or their protests. Today, when the government spoke to the protesters, spoke to Sonam Wangchuk, ended his fast and accepted his demand that there should be a discussion in Parliament, Rahul is running away from the discussion and making MPs mistreat Sonam Wangchuk,” he said.
Read also: Read CJP’s full letter to Modi government: ‘Our demands are non-negotiable’ | What happened at the ministers’ meeting?
Poonawalla also accused the Congress of failing to act against paper leaks in party-ruled states, while praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s commitment to students. He claimed that Prime Minister Modi has consistently worked to protect the interests of students through measures like fast track courts, anti-copying laws and procedures within the education ministry.
“They are already very upset that they are not getting credit…The Prime Minister is committed to the students’ cause, he has been the one who has consistently fought for their fast-track courts, anti-copying law, ensuring NEET exam is conducted properly, and procedures in the education department.”
“But look at the Congress party. In their states, papers are leaked, but they do not fire even a staff member, and they do not take any action. And now they are abusing Sonam Wangchuk, insulting him because they want to get credit. It is a credit battle, not a battle between students and students.”
Sonam Wangchuk ends quickly
Wangchuk ended his 26-day hunger strike On Thursday evening at Medanta Hospital in the presence of union ministers JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh. He added that he broke his fast after the government assured him that no action would be taken against “peaceful protesters at Jantar Mantar in Delhi who participated in the march to Parliament on July 20.”
Sharing a picture from the hospital on
He added: “Earlier, 65 Members of Parliament from various political parties visited me or signed letters urging me to break the fast. This was done after long negotiations on various circumstances and in view of possible violence in the country. I will explain the circumstances in detail in a separate video very soon. At the same time, I urge you all to remain extremely vigilant about not allowing violence of any kind anywhere.”
Dipki welcomed the move, saying he was relieved that Wangchuk had ended his hunger strike and thanked him for his “courage and sacrifices.”
“We are relieved and grateful that Mr. Sonam has ended his hunger strike after 26 days. Thank you, sir, for your extraordinary courage and sacrifices. By putting your life on the line, you have awakened the conscience of an entire nation. Your life is far more precious than this country,” he said.
Karishma Ayaldasani is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times, based in New Delhi, where she works with the digital team on fast-moving breaking stories from India and around the world. She enjoys covering national and global news, with an emphasis on providing updates quickly and clearly so readers can understand what’s happening as it unfolds. She is comfortable in high-pressure newsroom settings, and regularly contributes live blogs, explainers and real-time coverage. Before joining Hindustan Times, she was part of the digital team at The Indian Express, worked with the social media team at Firstpost, and spent time as a creative strategist at Clematis Advertising. Outside of work, she loves exploring different art forms and relaxing with music. With more than three years of experience in fast-paced newsrooms, she brings curiosity, clarity and consistency to her work.Read more
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