New Delhi [India], July 18 (ANI): Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders Manish Sisodia, Sanjay Singh and Saurabh Bharadwaj on Saturday criticised the Delhi Police action at Jantar Mantar after climate activist Sonam Wangchuk was taken to a hospital, with several Opposition leaders alleging suppression of peaceful protest.
In a post shared on X, AAP leader Manish Sisodia alleged that the Centre was trying to silence those raising their voice over paper leaks.
“So, this is the solution Modi ji has given for paper leaks… Beat up with goons whoever raises their voice against paper leaks and don’t let them raise their voice at all. This isn’t politics, it’s cowardice. What a reign of thugs..” Sisodia wrote.
https://x.com/msisodia/status/2078311909833793646
AAP leader Sanjay Singh also criticised the action, claiming Wangchuk had been forcibly taken away despite being on a prolonged fast.
“What kind of thuggery is this going on? Modi ji, this arrogance of power doesn’t last long. The very youth you’re beating with batons will uproot your throne. One person @Wangchuk66 who has been on a fast unto death for the past 21 days, instead of listening to his demands, was forcibly arrested and admitted to the hospital,” Singh posted on X.
https://x.com/SanjayAzadSln/status/2078309748240499081
Furthermore, AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj alleged that police personnel entered the protest site in plain clothes.
“Shamelessness at Jantar Mantar. Goons of Modi Govt. Delhi Police dressed up in civil dress and sports shoes forcefully entering the protest site. They brought dozens of white bed-sheets to block camera views so that any violence/man-handling with Sonam Wangchuk & others is not video recorded. This is how shameless Modi Govt is,” Bharadwaj said in a post on X.
https://x.com/Saurabh_MLAgk/status/2078310886977196040
Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Sagarika Ghose also condemned the police action.
“What sort of shocking coercive state violence is this? The morally bankrupt @narendramodi regime only knows how to use the danda. UNACCEPTABLE,” she posted on X.
https://x.com/sagarikaghose/status/2078308957622513784
Samajwadi Party MP Dimple Yadav termed the police action an assault on democracy.
“Forcibly removing Sonam Wangchuk is not just one action, but an assault on democracy and the Constitution. The BJP government can no longer tolerate even peaceful protests – this is tyranny,” she said in a post on X.
https://x.com/dimpleyadav/status/2078309645505253530
The reactions came after Wangchuk was taken to Delhi’s Safdarjung Hospital on Saturday morning. According to the sources, the climate activist is conscious, his vital parameters are stable, and he has been admitted to the emergency ward under medical supervision.
Meanwhile, protesters are being removed from the Jantar Mantar protest site by Delhi Police following Wangchuk’s hospitalisation. A heavy deployment of police personnel was seen at the site as protesters were asked to vacate the area.
In a post on X, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), New Delhi, said Wangchuk was shifted to the hospital in compliance with the Delhi High Court’s directions and on the advice of medical experts due to his deteriorating health. The DCP said protesters tried to obstruct the exercise, resulting in a slight commotion, but added that police exercised maximum restraint.
DCP Sachin Sharma later told reporters that Wangchuk had been shifted to an appropriate government hospital for medical intervention and was under medical supervision.
Abhijeet Dipke, Founding President of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), alleged that police forcibly took Wangchuk away and claimed he was assaulted while trying to reach the protest site.
CJP Chief Spokesperson Saurav Das also alleged on X that Dipke had been stopped by Delhi Police and claimed students at the protest site were lathi-charged. There was no immediate official response to these allegations.
Wangchuk had been on a hunger strike for 20 days, demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged nationwide examination irregularities, including the NEET paper leak controversy. He and his supporters had also announced a march to Parliament on July 20 to press for their demands.
On Thursday, the Delhi High Court directed that Wangchuk’s medical condition be monitored daily during his hunger strike and observed that “the life of every citizen is precious and all efforts ought to be made by the government authorities to save the same.” The court also directed that any medical intervention required, based on the opinion of government doctors, be provided. (ANI)
Related reading
