New Delhi | A day after activist Sonam Wangchuk was forcibly removed from the Jantar Mantar protest site, the Delhi High Court on Sunday said the government decision was not arbitrary and refused to interfere with his treatment at the Safdarjung Hospital, where he "continued" his hunger strike for the 22nd day.
As the government had decided to shift Wangchuk to a hospital "on account of his medical condition, this court does not find the same to be an arbitrary action", Justice Mini Pushkarna said after Wangchuk's wife, Gitanjali J Angmo, moved the court for an urgent hearing seeking permission to shift him to a private facility.
"Since the doctors at Safdarjung hospital are closely monitoring the health of Mr Sonam Wangchuk and have only administered oral fluids, potassium chloride and oral ORS without sugar with consent of Mr Sonam Wangchuk, it cannot be said that any force is being used or his body autonomy is being violated in any manner," said the court, adding no interim orders are required at the present stage.
The hospital said Wangchuk had been given required medical care and that the treating teams of doctors from VMMC and Safdarjung Hospital and AIIMS, New Delhi, opine that "sustained medical intervention and round-the-clock clinical monitoring remain essential to promptly detect and manage any potential complications".
Angmo claimed that it felt like Wangchuk, 59, was in "illegal detention" as in Jodhpur jail, where he was held under the NSA. She alleged that it was "drama" to stop him from taking part in the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) march to Parliament on Monday.
She said Wangchuk had decided to continue his hunger strike despite doctors asking him to take fluids. "Sonam wanted to remain on fast. They have been asking him to have fluids, but he didn't want to," she said.
She said he will end his hunger strike on Monday if political leaders meet him at hospital and assure him that they will raise the issue of "education accountability" during the Parliament session.
In a handwritten message shared from Safdarjung Hospital through Angmo, Wangchuk described the proposed Parliament march as India's "second freedom movement", calling for "freedom from fear" and "freedom from injustice" while urging supporters to make the mobilisation a "big success".
Wangchuk linked "freedom from injustice" to alleged paper leaks and "freedom from fear" to what he described as his "illegal detention".
The note, shared on X through Wangchuk's account, said, "March to the Parliament. Please make it a big success." It was signed off with the words, "Sent through Gitanjali from my illegal detention at Safdarjung."
Wangchuk had on June 28 joined the CJP agitation demanding accountability over alleged irregularities in competitive examinations, reforms in the examination system and the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
The CJP protest at Jantar Mantar remained packed on Sunday, with supporters continuing to pour in from across the country ahead of the outfit's proposed "Chalo Sansad" march to Parliament on Monday, the opening day of the Monsoon Session.
The outfit shared several photographs and videos on social media showing overflowing crowds at the protest venue through the day.
CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke appealed to supporters to stay at Jantar Mantar through the night, saying the night vigil was crucial to ensure that the proposed march proceeds peacefully on Monday.
Dipke said Sonam Wangchuk's indefinite hunger strike was continuing from Safdarjung Hospital despite his forcible removal from Jantar Mantar on Saturday.
Reiterating that the movement would continue irrespective of whether Wangchuk was able to join Monday's march, he appealed to people to participate in large numbers, saying the protest had entered a decisive phase.
The CJP also expressed apprehension of possible police action before the Parliament march and appealed to protesters to remain vigilant against any attempts to provoke violence.
"Our protest is continuing. Please come here in large numbers and stay here for the night. If you don't come, they will try to end the protest," Dipke said, while urging everyone to follow the organisers' guidelines and maintain complete peace.
Oppn to raise Wangchuk's hunger strike in Parliament
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Opposition parties which have criticised the action against Wangchuk said they will raise the issue in Parliament.
AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh on Sunday submitted a notice of motion under Rule 267, seeking suspension of the day's listed business in the Upper House to discuss the alleged NEET paper leak and the demands raised by Wangchuk.
After an all-party meeting on the Monsoon Session, Samajwadi Party MP Dharmendra Yadav said he sought discussions on activist Sonam Wangchuk's hunger strike over the NEET "paper leak" issue.
Trinamool Congress leader Mahua Moitra said, "We have raised the illegal arrest of Sonam Wangchuk. There is no outreach on the part of the government to the peaceful protest."
Addressing a rally in Mumbai in support of Wangchuk, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray accused the government of stealing the future of the youth, referring to alleged irregularities in the NEET exam and student suicides tied to it, which have prompted activist Sonam Wangchuk to launch a hunger strike.
“A fight should now be launched to change a government that is not accountable. And this fight is not just about Sonam Wangchuk,” he said.
Meanwhile, the BJP accused the AAP of using the protest for political purposes.
The objective of the agitation was not to raise students' issues but to "create a ruckus from the streets to Parliament" during the Monsoon Session, Delhi BJP president Harsh Malhotra alleged.
Angmo questions hospital authorities
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Charu Bamba, Medical Superintendent, VMMC and Safdarjung Superspeciality Hospital, said, "As you know, he has been admitted with us since yesterday morning. Like yesterday, he is fully alert, conscious and oriented. His vital parameters, including blood pressure, pulse rate and oxygen saturation, are all normal."
"Since he is weak and is still on a fast, he requires constant monitoring and further evaluation."
The High Court has issued notices to the Centre, Safdarjung Hospital, and the city police on Angmo's plea seeking his transfer to a private facility, and asked them to file their responses within three days.
Justice Pushkarna observed that Wangchuk's wife, his brother, and his brother-in-law have been given round-the-clock access to him.
Access is given to the family members in an "unprecedented manner", who have also been given a room in the hospital, the judge said.
Speaking to the media, Angmo alleged that the Safdarjung Hospital authorities are neither permitting Wangchuk's private doctors to examine him nor consulting them on his treatment.
"The entire floor is full of police personnel; it feels similar to Jodhpur jail. Sometimes when I am inside, a police constable is standing there. Is this illegal detention? Police do not allow me to use my phone. Sonam was not given his tablet. They are not showing any order (to do this). This is like illegal detention," she alleged.
"This is all drama. They were scared of Sonam's participation in the march to Parliament. But they don't realise that the number of people will only double. What we are fighting against in the education system is visible everywhere: misuse of police force, judiciary, media."
National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah met Angmo outside the hospital and wished Wangchuk's speedy recovery.
"We wish he gets better, remains healthy, and his protest finds success. May Ladakhis get their right to live in peace and harmony, may their culture progress and may nothing come to harm Ladakh. Please convey my message. I'm wishing him well," Abdullah said.
Wanchuk was detained after protests on Ladakh statehood issue turned violent in September 2025. He was released from Jodhpur Central Jail on March 14, 2026, after the Union government revoked his detention under the National Security Act (NSA).
New Delhi | Activist Sonam Wangchuk was stable on Sunday but needed round-the-clock medical care and close monitoring due to the physiological stress and systemic effects of his prolonged hunger strike, Safdarjung Hospital authorities said.
A health bulletin issued by VMMC and Safdarjung Hospital said Wangchuk's vital parameters were stable and his blood parameters had shown marginal improvement.
A multidisciplinary team of experts from Safdarjung Hospital and Delhi AIIMS is supervising his treatment, it said.
"Sonam Wangchuk is receiving the required medical care at VMMC and Safdarjung Hospital. His vital parameters are stable. While his blood parameters have shown minor improvement, it requires close monitoring.
"The treating teams of doctors from VMMC and Safdarjung Hospital and AIIMS, New Delhi, are of the considered opinion that sustained medical intervention and round-the-clock clinical monitoring remain essential to promptly detect and manage any potential complications.
"Accordingly, all necessary medical care is being provided, and his clinical condition is being closely monitored," a health bulletin issued by Safdarjung Hospital at 7 pm said.
Despite days of fasting, Wangchuk remains alert, Charu Bamba, Medical Superintendent, VMMC and Safdarjung Superspeciality Hospital, told reporters in the morning.
"As you know, he has been admitted with us since yesterday morning. Like yesterday, he is fully alert, conscious and oriented. His vital parameters, including blood pressure, pulse rate and oxygen saturation, are all normal," she said.
Lamba, however, added that some of his blood (laboratory) parameters are slightly abnormal.
"They are just below or above the normal range, and we are carrying out further investigations. Our team is providing him with continuous treatment," she said., Jul 19 (PTI)
"Since he is weak and is still on a fast, he requires constant monitoring and further evaluation," she added.
Earlier in the day, Wangchuk's wife, Gitanjali J Angmo, approached the Delhi High Court seeking Wangchuk's transfer to a private hospital.
She alleged that the family had been denied complete medical information by the hospital, and expressed a lack of confidence in the treatment at the government facility.
Sources from the hospital, however, rejected the allegations.
They said Wangchuk has been receiving treatment in accordance with established medical protocols, and his family is being kept informed about his condition, with all patient investigation details and medical summary shared with them.
Wangchuk has been under the care of a multidisciplinary team of specialists, who included experts from AIIMS, they said.
New Delhi | Jantar Mantar transformed into a packed protest camp with a massive influx of supporters on Sunday, a day ahead of the Cockroach Janta Party's "Chalo Sansad" march, with founder Abhijeet Dipke calling for a night-long vigil and Sonam Wangchuk's wife saying the activist will end his hunger strike if political leaders assure to raise education accountability in the Parliament.
Amid the swelling crowds, activist Sonam Wangchuk's wife Gitanjali J Angmo announced that he would end his hunger strike on Monday if political leaders meet him at Safdarjung Hospital and assure him that the issue of education accountability will be raised in the Monsoon Session of the Parliament.
Crowds continued to pour into the CJP's protest site at Jantar Mantar through the day as preparations gathered pace for Monday's march to Parliament.
CJP chief spokesperson Saurav Das claimed that nearly 20,000 people were "at and around Jantar Mantar" even before the scheduled mobilisation.
In a post on X, Das said, "20,000 people are at and around Jantar Mantar. And it's not even July 20 yet. Dharmendra Pradhan -- your day of reckoning is here."
The protest also drew support from several political leaders and public figures.
Actors Shabana Azmi and Prakash Raj visited Jantar Mantar during the day, joining Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra, CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat and AAP leader Manish Sisodia in expressing solidarity with the agitation.
CJP members shared photographs and videos on social media showing the protest site packed with supporters, claiming people from different parts of the country had begun arriving for Monday's mobilisation.
Addressing supporters through a video message, Dipke urged them to remain at Jantar Mantar through the night, saying their presence was essential to ensure the Parliament march proceeded peacefully.
"Our protest is going on. Please come here in large numbers. Stay here for the night. If you don't come, they will try to end the protest," he said.
Appealing for restraint, Dipke said, "Our protest and march will be peaceful. I request everyone to follow the rules and follow the guidelines."
He also asserted that Wangchuk's indefinite hunger strike was continuing from Safdarjung Hospital despite his removal from the protest site by police early Saturday.
"As you saw, they took away Sonam sir forcefully, but his hunger strike is continuing in the hospital," Dipke said.
In a significant announcement, Wangchuk's wife Angmo, while addressing supporters at Jantar Mantar, said the activist would end his hunger strike on Monday if political leaders visit him at Safdarjung Hospital and assure him that the issue of education accountability would be raised during the Monsoon Session of the Parliament.
"If political leaders meet Sonam in the hospital and assure him that they will raise the issue of education accountability during the Parliament session, he will end his hunger strike tomorrow," Angmo said.
She also conveyed Wangchuk's appeal to supporters ahead of the proposed march to Parliament on Monday, urging them to maintain peace and discipline.
"Sonam has requested all of us to take tomorrow's march peacefully and ensure that this protest is not misused," Angmo said.
She also alleged that the family had lost faith in Safdarjung Hospital and had approached the Delhi High Court seeking permission to shift Wangchuk to a private hospital of their choice.
Despite repeated requests, the hospital had neither discharged him nor allowed the transfer, she claimed, alleging that Wangchuk was effectively under "illegal detention" because of the heavy police presence.
Earlier in the day, Wangchuk issued a message from Safdarjung Hospital through Angmo, describing Monday's mobilisation as "India's second freedom movement" and calling for "freedom from injustice" over alleged paper leaks and "freedom from fear" over what he termed his "illegal detention".
He appealed to people to make the Parliament march a success.
The CJP also expressed apprehension over possible police action ahead of Monday's march.
In posts on X, the outfit urged supporters to reach Jantar Mantar immediately, claimed tear-gas equipment had been brought to the area and alleged that anti-social elements could attempt to infiltrate the gathering to provoke disturbances.
The CJP appealed to protesters not to respond to any provocation and to ensure the march remained peaceful.
At the nearby AISA protest site, hunger strikers Neha, Manish and Aameen continued their indefinite fast. Neha alleged that police had attempted three to four times on Sunday to remove them, but students and supporters formed a human chain to prevent it.
"Today is the 22nd day of our hunger strike. Since morning, police personnel have come three to four times to pick us up. The students and young people present at Jantar Mantar have formed a human chain to protect us," she said, urging more people to join the protest.
Following Wangchuk's removal from the protest site early Saturday, Dipke began his own indefinite hunger strike.
Entering its second day on Sunday, the CJP founder said he had now understood the physical toll of a prolonged fast and appealed to people to strengthen the movement by joining Monday's Parliament march in large numbers.
The CJP has been protesting at Jantar Mantar since June 20, demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged irregularities in the NEET examination, reforms in the examination system and justice for affected students.
The outfit has called for a "Chalo Sansad" march to Parliament on Monday, the opening day of the Monsoon Session.
