In brief
Indian activist Sonam Wangchuk, 59, was taken from a 20‑day salt‑and‑water hunger strike at Jantar Mantar after a police raid. He lost over 9 kilograms and is now hospitalized for dehydration. His wife cautioned against any medical intervention without consent. The protest is part of the satirical Cockroach Janta Party’s push for education reform, demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. While Wangchuk’s health remains fragile, the movement plans to march to Parliament regardless.
Activist Sonam Wangchuk, 59, was forcibly removed from his 20‑day hunger strike at Jantar Mantar in Delhi.
Wangchuk had been protesting in solidarity with the online satirical movement Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), demanding education reforms and the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
During the protest, police and paramilitary forces entered the stage where Wangchuk lay on salt and water, covered him with bedsheets and took him away in an ambulance.
His wife, Gitanjali Angmo, posted on X that he was admitted to Safdarjung Hospital, requesting that no treatment be administered without her consent.
Doctors reported he was weak but stable, suffering from mild dehydration but with normal vital signs.
Wangchuk’s hunger strike began on July 7 after a Delhi High Court ordered the government to monitor his health. After being removed, the founder of CJP, Abhijeet Dipke, launched an indefinite fast in his place and pledged to march to Parliament on July 21.
The protest has drawn criticism from opposition MPs, who described the police raid as “shocking coercive state violence” and an assault on democracy. It also attracted attention from former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who called on the government to engage with the protesters.
With Wangchuk’s health compromised, the movement may not see him at the planned march, but officials plan to proceed regardless.
