Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke on Saturday announced that he would begin an indefinite hunger strike, asserting that the protest led by activist Sonam Wangchuk would continue despite his removal from the protest site.
Dipke said his fast would start from Saturday and that the planned march to Parliament on July 20 would take place as scheduled. He added that his hunger strike would continue alongside the ongoing protest.
“The protest will not end," Dipke said, alleging that authorities believed shifting Sonam Wangchuk to the hospital would bring the agitation to a halt. He said taking Wangchuk away from the protest site would not weaken their movement.
“I am starting my fast from today. Our march on the 20th of July will also happen, and my fast will continue. These people think that by taking Sonam Sir inside and picking him up from here, they can end the protest; the protest will not end," he said.
This comes after activist Sonam Wangchuk, who was on a hunger strike for the last 20 days at Jantar Mantar, was removed from the protest site and was taken to the Safdarjung Hospital by the police on Saturday.
Police arrived at Jantar Mantar early on Saturday and shifted Wangchuk to a hospital, triggering protests and sloganeering by Cockroach Janata Party activists, who have been leading the agitation against Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
On Thursday, the Delhi High Court heard a plea on Wangchuk’s deteriorating health. The court directed authorities to conduct daily clinical examinations of the climate activist, observing that “the life of any citizen is precious" and ordering regular medical monitoring along with any necessary medical intervention.
DCP Delhi Police said that as per the court’s order and on expert medical advice, due to the deteriorating health condition of Sonam Wangchuk, he has been shifted to the hospital for essential medical care. While complying with the orders of the court, the protestors tried to create an obstruction, during which a slight commotion ensued.
However, police exercised maximum restraint and undertook the exercise safely. The DCP further requested the protestors at Jantar Mantar to peacefully vacate the place at the earliest.
Wangchuk was on a fast, demanding the resignation of the education minister over an alleged NEET paper leak.
Meanwhile, the protesters have announced a march to Parliament on July 20, the opening day of the Monsoon Session.
Safdarjung Hospital on Saturday said that activist Sonam Wangchuk has been admitted for necessary medical care after his prolonged hunger strike left him weak and dehydrated. The hospital said that while Wangchuk’s condition is currently stable, he requires continuous observation, monitoring and treatment to restore his body parameters.
Following Sonam Wangchuk’s admission to Safdarjung Hospital, his wife, Gitanjali J Angmo, said on X that no treatment should be administered to the activist without the consent of his family and the doctors who had been monitoring his health throughout the protest.
“I am at Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi, where @Wangchuk66 has been admitted. Nothing should be administered to him orally or intravenously without taking consent from me, his family and his doctors who have been monitoring his health for the past 20 days," she wrote.
Source: News18