Sonam Wangchuk hospitalized after 20‑day hunger strike as education protest escalates
Education activist Sonam Wangchuk was taken from the Jantar Mantar protest site to Safdarjung Hospital on July 18 after his health deteriorated on the 21st day of an indefinite hunger strike. The move followed a Delhi High Court order and medical advice warning of mild dehydration and weakness. Police formed a human chain, used white bedsheets to shield him, and reported a brief commotion when some protesters tried to obstruct the transfer.
Wangchuk’s fast began on June 28 to demand the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged NEET examination irregularities. After his hospitalization, the founder of the Cockroach Janta Party, Abhijeet Dipke, announced an indefinite hunger strike and expanded the demands to include Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s resignation. Opposition MPs, including Supriya Sule and Pawan Khera, visited Wangchuk and vowed to raise the issue in the upcoming Monsoon Session of Parliament. The protest movement plans a march to Parliament on July 20.
Wangchuk’s wife, Gitanjali J Angmo, insisted that no oral or intravenous treatment be given without family consent. Hospital officials said his vital signs are stable but he remains under close observation.