Raijor Dal chief and sitting MLA Akhil Gogoi has hit out at the Delhi Police for pulling social and climate activist Sonam Wangchuk away from his fast-unto-death site on Saturday, calling the move an attack on the activist's basic rights and demanding that he be set free without delay.
Gogoi Demands Wangchuk's Release and Pradhan's Exit
Gogoi said forcibly moving a man who was observing a hunger strike amounted to trampling on fundamental and constitutional guarantees, and described the episode as troubling. "As a representative of the people of Assam and the North East, I demand that Sonam Wangchuk be released immediately," he said.
The MLA argued that Wangchuk's cause goes well beyond the education system and touches the future of the entire country. He insisted that the government must accept the demand to remove Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan from office, describing Wangchuk as someone fighting on behalf of ordinary citizens and future generations, and appealing to people across the country to unite behind the activist's cause.
How Wangchuk Ended Up in Hospital
Delhi Police shifted Wangchuk from the protest venue at Jantar Mantar to Safdarjung Hospital on Saturday morning. He had been refusing food for several days to press for Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation, holding the minister responsible for widespread lapses in national-level examinations, among them the controversy surrounding the leaked NEET paper. His fast had drawn wide attention as a protest against what he described as failures in the examination system affecting students nationwide.
Cockroach Janata Party's March Plan Runs Into Trouble
Even after Wangchuk's hospitalisation, members of the Cockroach Janata Party have kept up their sit-in at Jantar Mantar and are pushing ahead with plans to march toward Parliament on Monday, the opening day of the Monsoon Session. The march itself was originally announced by Wangchuk before he was hospitalised on Saturday morning.
The group has not yet formally sought the Delhi Police's go-ahead for this march. Given the tight security cover that is typically thrown around Parliament during a session, any such request, even if filed now, stands little chance of being cleared. Delhi Police routinely clamps prohibitory orders on the New Delhi district, close to Parliament House and India Gate, invoking Section 163 of the BNSS, the provision that replaced the earlier Section 144, whenever Parliament is in session. These restrictions are expected to remain firmly in place through the Monsoon Session.
Opposition Leaders Rally Behind Wangchuk
The handling of Wangchuk's hunger strike by the police has triggered sharp reactions from across the Opposition. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and party colleague Pawan Khera were among the Opposition voices criticising the police action, alongside AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee and several Samajwadi Party leaders, adding to the political pressure building around the government over the episode.
