Sonam Wangchuk’s wife questions police presence in Medanta: If “he is not in custody…” | Today’s news

Activist Sonam Wangchuk’s wife Gitanjali J Angmo claimed that police officials were present “everywhere” at Medanta Hospital where the activist was admitted.

Angmo, who shared the visuals on X, asked: “If the court has clarified that he is not in custody, then under what authority is this happening?”

She claimed: “In Safdarjung and now in Medanta, the police are everywhere. At the main gate. Reception. Lifts. Outside ICU @Wangchuk66. They decide who can or cannot meet him.”

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Gitanjali J Angmo questions the presence of the police, arguing that if the court has made it clear that Wangchuk is not in custody, there should be no authority for such a police presence, which he perceives as citizen control.

Wangchuk claimed he was treated like a prisoner at Safdarjung Hospital, denied free movement, visitor access and personal electronic devices, which he likened to being in North Korea.

During the 26-day hunger strike, Wangchuk lost 11 kilograms, including muscle mass, leading to fears of irreversible damage to his organs and brain.

He ended his hunger strike after receiving a written assurance from the Union government on the issue of NEET exam and systemic reforms, fearing a possible crackdown on the protesters.

Wangchuk faced criticism for ending his hunger strike, with some claiming he had made a deal with the government, which he vehemently denied by highlighting his sacrifices and the circumstances he faced.

Wangchuk’s wife even asked, “In an enlightened democracy, is the role of the police to protect citizens and enforce laws or to control citizens on behalf of those in power? These are questions every Indian should ask.”

Wangchuk ended his 26-day hunger strike on Friday after receiving a written assurance from the Union government on the NEET exam issue and systemic reforms in competitive testing in the country.

Wangchuk, wife attacked critics

On Friday, Angmo called on people to show sympathy for her husband, saying he was in the ICU after losing 11kg during the fast.

“Before you rush to criticize Sonam Wangchuk, first pause to earn the ethos of a 26-day fast for a cause bigger than yourself. Today she is in ICU, having lost 11 kg, including muscle, because she chose sacrifice over comfort,” she said in a post on X.

In a video message shared on social media on Friday, Wangchuk also attacked critics who questioned his decision to end the hunger strike, saying he should not seek a “certificate of character” to prove his commitment to the cause.

“After 26 days of fasting for students, losing 11 kilograms of body weight, losing muscle mass and my organs and brain being on the brink of irreversible damage… do I have to look to someone for character confirmation about how sacred my fast was, at whose hands I broke it, or if I made a deal?” he said.

Wangchuk ended his hunger strike at Medanta Hospital on Friday in the presence of Union Ministers JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh.

In a video posted on YouTube late on Friday, Wangchuk claimed he was treated “like a prisoner” after being taken to Safdarjung Hospital on July 18, claiming he was denied free movement, prevented from meeting visitors and not allowed to keep his mobile phone or laptop.

“It was like North Korea,” Wangchuk said, claiming that even after the Delhi High Court allowed him to be transferred to Medanta Hospital, he was prevented from leaving Safdarjung Hospital for several hours.

He also rejected accusations that he had compromised with the government.

“Last night, around midnight, I was told that the Ministers had agreed to give an assurance in writing. I was in a hurry because the situation in Delhi was such; there were fears that there might be a major crackdown.”

Responding to criticism of ending the fast in the presence of Union ministers, Wangchuk said those who questioned his decision were not aware of the circumstances he faced after being moved from the protest site.

“If I had to make a deal, would I starve for 26 days? Couldn’t I make a deal sitting in an air-conditioned room instead of fasting in Delhi?” he asked.

Meanwhile, the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) said its agitation will continue until Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigns.

Earlier in the day, CJP activist Ashutosh Ranka alleged that the Delhi Police was preventing people from sending food and helping protesters at the party’s protest site at Jantar Mantar.

“Dear Delhi Police, do whatever you want. You can’t stop people from coming to Jantar Mantar. You can’t stop people from having food. You can’t stop people from helping us. And most importantly, you can’t stop Pradhan’s resignation. He’s going,” Ranka said in a post on X.

After a nearly two-hour meeting with Union ministers JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh on Friday, the CJP representatives claimed that the government had sought time till Saturday afternoon to discuss their demand for Pradhan’s resignation.