New Delhi: A large police presence and tense scenes unfolded at Jantar Mantar on Saturday after Delhi Police removed climate activist Sonam Wangchuk from the protest site and took him to Safdarjung Hospital, prompting student groups to march and Opposition leaders to sharply criticise the Centre.
Members of left-wing student bodies — All India Students Federation (AISF), Students’ Federation of India (SFI) and All India Students’ Association (AISA) — joined a demonstration organised by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) at Jantar Mantar. Protesters were pressing for the resignation of Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan in the wake of the NEET paper leak scandal. Demonstrators raised slogans and carried placards demanding accountability.
As authorities asked people to vacate the premises, Delhi Police deployed in strength around the site. Activists formed human chains to shield hunger-striking participants, including Neha Bora, a PhD scholar from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), in an effort to prevent police action against those on the ground, as reported by The New Indian Express.
Hunger Strike & Hospitalisation
CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke announced his own hunger strike after police began removing protesters from Jantar Mantar when Sonam Wangchuk was taken to hospital by police on the 21st day of his fast on Saturday morning.The move came two days prior to a planned march to Parliament on July 20 by Wangchuk and his supporters.
Opposition Slams Centre
The police action drew strong condemnation from opposition parties. Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary M A Baby accused the Centre of silencing peaceful dissent instead of addressing the alleged NEET paper leaks.
In a post on X, Baby said: “Strongly condemn the detention of Sonam Wangchuk and Abhijeet Dipke by Delhi Police. Instead of sacking the Education Minister under whose nose the scandalous leak of papers happened and dismantling the system that continues to ruin the future of lakhs of students, the government is coming down with a heavy hand on peaceful protesters.”
Baby added: “This displays the authoritarian attitude of the Modi government. Silencing dissent cannot be a substitute for accountability.”
Sharad Pawar of the NCP (SP) also criticised the Centre’s handling of the agitation, calling the government’s response “irresponsible” and saying officials appeared to be bystanders rather than addressing students’ demands.
Speaking to reporters in Baramati, Pawar said the government moved to hospitalise Wangchuk after the situation became “uncontrollable”, but that the protest would continue despite action against the activist.
Leaders from other parties joined the chorus. Aam Aadmi Party figures Manish Sisodia, Sanjay Singh and Saurabh Bharadwaj accused authorities of suppressing peaceful protest. Trinamool Congress member Sagarika Ghose and Samajwadi Party MP Dimple Yadav also condemned the police operation.
