Police take Environmentalist Sonam Wangchuk to the hospital during his ongoing hunger strike at Jantar Mantar seeking the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged examination irregularities and NEET paper leak, on July 18, 2026.
| Photo Credit: ANI
The Delhi Police was instructed by the Union government to shift activist Sonam Wangchuk from the protest site at Jantar Mantar due to the upcoming Monsoon session of the Parliament, which commences on Monday (July 20, 2026), government sources said.
Also read: Sonam Wangchuk hunger strike update on July 18
The police and other security agencies also apprehended a law and order situation in the national capital, metres away from the Parliament House, as the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has announced a rally to demand the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan in the wake of the NEET examination paper leak.
In a post on X, Delhi Police however, said that Mr. Wangchuk was shifted to a hospital as per orders of the Delhi High Court and on expert medical advise due to his deteriorating health condition. He was taken to Safdarjung Hospital in south Delhi.
His wife, Gitanjali J. Angmo has contested the police statement saying the High Court order was never about hospitalisation and the court only asked to monitor his health at regular intervals.
Early on Saturday (July 18) morning, the dais at Jantar Mantar, where Mr. Wangchuk had been on a hunger strike for 21 days, was surrounded by police personnel in civilian clothes posing as members of a government medical team.
Away from cameras
They covered the platform with white bedsheets and escorted Mr. Wangchuk away. He could not put up resistance due to his frail health.
Sources said the government did not want images or videos of any confrontation or force being used against the activist going viral on social media.
He was seen showing a victory sign as he was being brought down the dais. Besides the Delhi Police, personnel from the Rapid Action Force (RAF) and anti-riot specialised force were also deployed.
Earlier in June, Delhi Police had allowed the protest called by CJP, an online youth group, to pacify the youth’s anxiety against the NEET paper leak. Upon his arrival from the United States on June 6, Abhijeet Dipke, founder of CJP was granted permission by the police to protest at Jantar Mantar.
After the first round of protest at Jantar Mantar in June, when the government analysed that the CJP was more of an online sensation, with few people coming out in support on the streets, they were allowed to extend the protest at Jantar Mantar, beyond the day-long agitation that started June 20.
A week later, Mr. Wangchuk sat on a hunger strike to demand Mr. Pradhan’s resignation. The removal of Mr. Wangchuk was among the first tasks of police commsioner Anurag Kumar, who took charge less than 24 hours ago.
Published – July 19, 2026 12:04 am IST
