Sonam Wangchuk disputes ‘deal’ claims after ending 26-day fast as hospital video and wife’s post draw attention
The Facts
- Sonam Wangchuk ended a 26-day hunger strike that he had undertaken in support of the Cockroach Janta Party protest over the alleged NEET paper leak and related demands.
- After ending the fast, Wangchuk released a video message rejecting allegations that he had made a deal with the government and asking why he still needed to prove his sincerity.
- Wangchuk said he ended the fast because he wanted to protect protesters from possible legal action or a crackdown, and said that concern shaped his negotiations.
- Delhi Police moved Wangchuk from the Jantar Mantar protest site to Safdarjung Hospital on July 18 during his hunger strike.
- A video recorded at Safdarjung Hospital on July 21 showed Wangchuk confronting officials while trying to leave, and hospital authorities said he was stopped because they had not yet received the Delhi High Court’s written transfer order.
- Wangchuk was later shifted from Safdarjung Hospital to Medanta Hospital in Gurugram after the court allowed a transfer to a hospital of his choice.
- Gitanjali Angmo, Wangchuk’s wife, publicly appealed for people not to judge him for ending the fast and said he had lost 11 kg and was in the ICU recovering.
- The immediate dispute is no longer only about whether Wangchuk should have ended his fast; it also concerns the treatment he received in hospital and whether the government’s assurances to protesters will address the broader demands of the CJP-led movement.
Context
Why did Wangchuk say he ended the hunger strike?
Wangchuk said he ended the fast after receiving written assurances from the government and because he wanted to prevent legal action or a possible crackdown on protesters. He said protecting students involved in the protest was his main priority Hindustan Times,NDTV,News18.
What is the dispute over the Safdarjung Hospital video?
The video shows Wangchuk being stopped as he tried to leave Safdarjung Hospital on July 21 after the Delhi High Court allowed a transfer. Wangchuk presented it as evidence of mistreatment, while hospital authorities said he was stopped because they had not yet received the court’s written order India Today,Hindustan Times,Hindustan Times,NDTV.
What role has Wangchuk’s wife played in this phase of the story?
Gitanjali Angmo has defended Wangchuk against criticism for ending the fast, saying he lost 11 kg and was in the ICU recovering. She also posted about a heavy police presence at Medanta, which drew wider attention online Hindustan Times,Hindustan Times,NDTV,India Today,News18.
Where Left and Right agree, and where they split
- Where Left and Right agree
- Transparent, restrained handling mattered once police removed Wangchuk and his fast ended, especially given his stated aim of protecting protesters from legal action.
- Where Left and Right split
- Whether the story is about accountability for how a fasting activist was treated, or about whether police, hospitals, and courts followed clear procedures consistently.
How left and right read it
A protest over the alleged NEET paper leak now also turns on how a fasting activist was handled once police removed him from Jantar Mantar and he was later stopped while trying to leave hospital. When someone ends a 26-day fast to shield protesters from possible legal action or a crackdown, then still has to defend his sincerity while recovering in the ICU, the demand for accountability only becomes more urgent.
A protest that ends in negotiations, police removal, a court-approved hospital transfer, and a public dispute over treatment raises a basic rule-of-law question: were clear procedures followed, and were they followed consistently. Wangchuk’s own explanation for ending the fast was to shield protesters from legal action or a crackdown, which makes institutional restraint and transparent handling the standard that has to be met.
The receipts — all 100 sources
Wire services (2)
Independent coverage (50)
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