Sonam Wangchuk still fasting after hospitalisation: Blow by blow on chaos at CJP Jantar Mantar protest | Today’s news

The 21st day of activist Sonam Wangchuk’s hunger strike began in chaos when the Delhi Police “forcefully” took Wangchuk clad in white sheets from the Jantar Mantar protest site and admitted him to Safdarjung Hospital due to medical issues.

Questions have been raised about the manner in which Wangchuk was taken to the hospital. Later, Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke broke down in tears as he announced that he would go on an indefinite hunger strike.

The day took a dramatic turn when a woman threw inky liquid on Dipke during a protest around noon on Saturday.

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Sonam Wangchuk was hospitalized after he was forcibly taken away from the protest site at Jantar Mantar by the Delhi Police due to deteriorating health conditions related to his prolonged fast.

Wangchuk is on hunger strike to demand accountability for the alleged paper leak involving students and is seeking the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

The Delhi Police said Wangchuk was taken to the hospital in compliance with the order of the Delhi High Court and based on a medical recommendation that indicated his health had deteriorated.

Following Wangchuk’s hospitalization, CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke went on an indefinite hunger strike and called for the resignation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Wangchuk’s wife has raised concerns about transparency, arguing that family and personal doctors are not allowed to see him and that no treatment should be given without their consent.

Read also | Sonam Wangchuk News LIVE: Woman throws ink at Abhijeet Dipke at Jantar Mantar

About the protest

Wangchuk mustered all his strength to participate in the march to parliament on July 20. From 28 June 2026, he observed an indefinite fast in solidarity with the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP).

The CJP, which started as an online satire but eventually became a massive movement, protested against Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET ‘paper leak’ incident which severely affected students.

Wangchuk is demanding accountability for the alleged paper leak and Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation. He and his supporters also urged the government to open a dialogue with the protesters and address issues related to the education system.

What happened early on Saturday 18 July?

Before sunrise on Saturday, there were reports of “multiple incidents” at Jantar Mantar where “people caused disturbance”.

Around midnight on Friday, Abhijeet Dipke of the Cockroach Janata Party claimed that “goons tried to attack Sonam sir at Jantar Mantar.” He said “an object was thrown at him, but fortunately he was not injured.”

Later, in the early hours of Saturday, Dipke alleged that the Delhi Police had carried out a “sweep” at Jantar Mantar. It alleged that the police were “beating up people and taking away Sonam sir”.

Read also | Who is Sonam Wangchuk? What made him famous and who was his father

This allegedly took place in the absence of Dipke, who had gone to a nearby place to “take a bath”, the CJP said. Dipke said he was “beaten and detained by the Delhi Police”.

Dipke was released only after Wangchuk was taken “successfully abducted” from Jantar Mantar, the CJP posted on X. It added that Wangchuk was taken to an “undisclosed” location. It was also alleged that CJP protesters were “badly lathi-charged” at Jantar Mantar.

Wangchuk “pulled away,” Dipke recalls

Recalling the police “intervention” at the Jantar Mantar protest early Saturday morning, Abhijeet Dipke said, “When I came out at 7 am to freshen up, police goons arrived. They dragged Sonam Sir away and hurled abuse at him.”

“A 60-year-old man, who was on hunger strike for 20 days and did not eat anything, was forcibly taken away by the Delhi Police,” he said.

Read also | How Delhi Police shifted Sonam Wangchuk to hospital –

Dipke claimed, “We have no idea where he was taken. When I got the message and was on my way to Jantar Mantar from my friend’s house, the police also attacked me…They are not policemen; they are RSS crooks. I have returned to my country from abroad; am I a criminal? They are morons – not the police, but RSS crooks…”

Has Sonam Wangchuk been arrested?

No. Wangchuk was not arrested or detained. He was taken to Safdarjung Hospital for treatment. Doctors said he had become weak due to prolonged starvation. However, his vital signs were stable.

The hospital also confirmed that Wangchuk was being treated there.

Dr Charu Bamba, Medical Superintendent of Safdarjung Hospital, said on Saturday: “Mr. Sonam Wangchuck was admitted and admitted to Safdarjung Hospital for required medical care at 7:40 am today. He is weak due to prolonged starvation and dehydration. Although he is currently stable, he needs constant observation, monitoring and treatment to restore his physical parameters.”

New Delhi: A supporter of Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) assisted at Jantar Mantar after activist Sonam Wangchuk, invisible who has been on indefinite hunger strike for 21 days, was shifted to Medical Care Hospital in New Delhi, on Saturday, July 18, 2026.(PTI)

She told ANI that Wangchuk is fully alert and stable. “He was initially treated in the emergency department upon his arrival and has now been admitted under the medical department.”

“We’re going to keep him for a while because there are signs of dehydration affecting his electrolyte levels. We’ll correct those and then recheck his condition…,” she said.

Police say ‘no lathicharge’, action taken as per HC order

While protesters and opposition leaders on Saturday condemned the police “intervention” at Jantar Mantar, DCP New Delhi Sachin Sharma said the action was taken in compliance with the Supreme Court’s order.

“In accordance with the order of the Hon’ble High Court and in view of his medical condition and expert medical advice, Mr. Sonam Wangchuk has been shifted from here to a government hospital for treatment,” Sharma told ANI.

He added, “There was absolutely no lathi-charge or anything like that.”

CJP says action is ‘completely illegal’

After the statement, the CJP asked, “How did you decide that his health deteriorated suddenly in the early hours of Delhi Police, even without medical examination.”

The “party” said Wangchuk was being monitored last night by “YOUR GOVERNMENT DOCTORS WHO ADVISED NOTHING BUT CHECKING HIS HEALTH”.

“DID YOU CHECK HIS VITALS IN THE MORNING BEFORE SENDING HIM OUT?” it asked.

CJP spokesperson Saurav Das said that nowhere in the apex court’s order did it mention that Sonam “Wangchuk should be forcibly taken away by the police, wrapped in a white sheet like a dead body”.

“It is clear that treatment can only be given if a life-threatening condition warrants it based on medical advice. All of Sonam ji’s vital signs were normal until yesterday,” Das wrote on X.

He added: “No doctor checked him at 7am this morning when the police unlawfully detained him by force. So on what ‘medical advice’ do the police claim to have done what they did?”

“The only answer is that the government is shaken by the success of this movement, the July 20 march and the outpouring of support for Sonam ji,” Das said.

He demanded that “Delhi Police IMMEDIATELY release Sonam ji, allow his family and lawyers to meet him and reveal whether they have arrested Sonam ji and if so, on what legal basis.

Abhishek Dipke goes on hunger strike: ‘Modi must resign!’

After Sonam Wangchuk was taken to the hospital, Abhijeet Dipke announced that he would be on an “indefinite hunger strike starting right now”.

Taking a dias and sitting with a picture of Sonam Wangchuk at the protest site, he burst into tears. Dipke condemned the police crackdown and said the protest march to Parliament on July 20 would go ahead as planned. He said, “…we will now demand the resignation of Narendra Modi.”

“If they think that taking away Sonam Sir will end this movement, they are wrong. We will stay here and march to Parliament on July 20,” Dipke said while speaking at Jantar Mantar.

He added, “Till now we have demanded Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation, but after this heinous act we will now demand Narendra Modi’s resignation.”

Dipke also urged the protesters not to back down. “Today I begin my indefinite hunger strike. I appeal to all: do not back down; this movement is only going to get bigger.”

“They have made a grave mistake… I urge everyone to come to Jantar Mantar; our movement will continue from there and we will continue our march scheduled for July 20,” he added.

Wangchuk’s wife demands that he be moved from Safdarjung Hospital

The CJP alleged that Sonam Wangchul’s wife Gitanjali J Angmo “was not allowed to take her phone to the hospital room”. It claimed that Wangchuk’s “medical reports were not shared with the family. No personal lawyers or doctors were allowed to meet.”

Earlier, Angmo said, “I am at Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi where @Wangchuk66 was admitted.” She said Wangchuk should not be given anything orally or intravenously without getting “the consent of me, his family and his doctors who have been monitoring his health for the past 20 days”.

In a letter to Safdarjung Angmo Hospital, she said she wanted to transfer Sonam Wangchuk to a medical center of their choice because “the lack of transparency has shaken their confidence”.

A letter from Wangchuk’s wife requesting that the activist be transferred from Safdarjung Hospital

Opposing the Delhi Police’s statement, Angmo said the high court order never ordered hospitalization. “It simply stated that the individual’s health is paramount and must be monitored at regular intervals, it did not order hospitalization,” she said.

“So this is not in line with the Supreme Court order. There is currently no treatment. There are only observations and tests and we will actually have them done in an external laboratory,” Angmo said.

“Because they are not providing the reports we requested and in terms of the data they are quoting like the potassium level reaching 2.9. Yesterday it was 4.3 so it could not have changed today,” added Angmo.

She said she wanted to check with another lab before giving any meds.

Wangchuk’s hunger strike continues…

Angmo said Wangchuk is still fasting. “The fast continues because he does not consume any sugar,” she added.

“He’s only taking the salt water he was consuming before… I’m thankful that the government took enough care to bring him here, but we can handle the next steps ourselves; there’s no need for the government to interfere in this matter. He’s definitely weak and losing muscle – which happens with every fast – but he’s alert and very strong,” Wangchuk’s wife said.

Ink thrown on Dipke

At around 1:30 pm, reports claimed that a woman threw ink on Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke at Jantar Mantar, again creating chaos at the protest site. The video of the incident was shared by news agency PTI on X.

As the drama and chaos at Jantar Mantar continues, all eyes are now on the CJP’s July 20 march to Parliament, which supporters have claimed will take place despite Saturday’s pandemonium.