Sonam Wangchuk: As the indefinite hunger strike of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk entered its day 21, Delhi Police removed him from the protest site at Jantar Mantar early on Saturday morning. According to ANI, citing top police sources, the operation was finalised during a high-level meeting after the newly appointed Delhi police commissioner Anurag Kumar assumed charge on Friday.
Wangchuk, who had been protesting and observing an indefinite hunger strike for the past 20 days at Delhi's Jantar Mantar over the alleged NEET paper leak, was shifted to Safdarjung Hospital by the Delhi Police on Saturday amid sloganeering and protests by activists of the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP). The party has been demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the alleged examination irregularities.
How did Delhi Police plan Wangchuk's removal from Jantar Mantar?
Senior police officers decided to carry out the operation at daybreak, when the number of protesters was at its lowest. Police also seized the opportunity when CJP founder and Wangchuk's close aide, Abhijit Dipke, had stepped away from the protest site, leaving the stage without its primary coordinator.
Around 30-35 personnel from the New Delhi district's Special Staff and the local police, dressed in plain clothes, quietly entered the barricaded protest area.
According to ANI, citing sources, only a handful of senior officers were aware of the operation. Inspectors and most personnel deployed on the ground were instructed only to report to the protest site and remain in position, without being briefed on the full operational plan in advance.
Police personnel then surrounded Wangchuk's bed and covered it with large white sheets from all four sides before escorting him away from the stage to avoid crowd mobilisation and minimise commotion at the protest site.
A three-layer operation by Delhi Police
A three-layer security plan was used to remove Wangchuk from the protest site. The first layer involved officers dressed up in plainclothes securing the stage and taking Wangchuk to the hospital. In the second layer, personnel from the CRPF and Rapid Action Force (RAF) managed the crowd, holding back protesters outside the barricaded area to prevent any potential confrontation at the protest site. The third layer involved senior Delhi Police officers overseeing the entire operation from a control point situated near the ambulance and police vehicles.
Once Wangchuk was inside the ambulance, traffic police cleared the way for the ambulance to Safdarjung Hospital.
After Wangchuk was taken away, Gen-Z outfit leader Abhijit Dipke returned to the protest site and alleged that Wangchuk had been removed in his absence. He also announced that he would continue the protest by undertaking a hunger strike himself.
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However, the Delhi Police maintained that the operation was carried out peacefully with maximum restraint and appealed to protesters at Jantar Mantar to vacate the site peacefully at the earliest.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), DCP New Delhi wrote, "As per orders of the Hon'ble High Court and on expert medical advice, due to the deteriorating health condition of Sh. Sonam Wangchuk, he has been shifted to the hospital for essential medical care. While complying with the orders of the Hon'ble High Court, the protestors tried to create an obstruction, in which a slight commotion ensued; however, police took maximum restraint and undertook the exercise safely. We request the protestors at Jantar Mantar to peacefully vacate the place at the earliest."
On June 28, 2026, Sonam Wangchuk joined the CJP protest at Jantar Mantar and announced an indefinite hunger strike.