NEW DELHI |  The Delhi Police on Saturday morning cracked down on the protesters at Jantar Mantar and “forcefully took away” activist Sonam Wangchuk from the protest site.  Wangchuk has been on a hunger strike for the past 20 days demanding the resignation of the education minister over the alleged NEET paper leak.

Wangchuk’s wife, Gitanjali J Angmo, said he was shifted to the Safdarjung Hospital, and asserted that no medical treatment should be administered to the activist without her consent. “He is at Safdarjung Hospital. I forbid them from administering anything without my consent. No treatment should start without my consent. I hold everybody accountable if anything happens,” Angmo told .

Questioning the decision to hospitalise him, she claimed Wangchuk appeared fine on Friday. “Yesterday, he was doing fine. There was no need to bring him to the hospital. It’s my right under Article 32. Without my consent and my doctor’s consent, nothing can be administered,” she said.

In a statement, Delhi Police said Wangchuk was shifted for “essential medical care” following expert medical advice and in compliance with the high court’s orders.

According to a report, police landed at Jantar Mantar early on Saturday morning and shifted Wangchuk to a government hospital despite resistance from the part of Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) activists who have been spearheading protests against Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) Sachin Sharma told PTI that Wangchuk was hospitalised in accordance with the Delhi High Court’s directions after his health worsened and is receiving the required medical intervention under medical supervision.

Some protesters tried to obstruct the exercise, leading to a brief commotion, but police personnel exercised maximum restraint and completed the operation successfully, it added. The police also appealed to the protesters to end their agitation, saying they should peacefully vacate the protest site at the earliest.

The Delhi Police reportedly arrived at the site in plain clothes. An ambulance was also present. They covered the stage with bedsheets and allegedly forcefully removed Sonam Wangchuk to a hospital.Soon after the police action, Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) founder Abhijit Dipke alleged that the protesters were subjected to a police crackdown.

“I have been beaten up and put under detention by Delhi Police,” Dipke said in a post on X. In another post, he alleged that the police were beating protesters and forcibly taking Wangchuk away.

 Wangchuk has been on an indefinite hunger strike since June 28 in support of the CJP-led protest over alleged irregularities in the NEET examination and the reported deaths of students linked to the controversy. His health had shown a steady decline over the past three weeks.

 Doctors said he had lost nearly 9.5 kg since the beginning of the hunger strike, while his blood pressure and blood sugar levels had remained under close monitoring.  The Delhi High Court has been monitoring the medical condition of Wangchuk and has directed that his health be regularly assessed and that appropriate medical intervention be provided if required.

 On Friday night, Wangchuk had said he was still determined to continue the fast despite his worsening condition, claiming he had “lost 20 per cent of my body” during the 20-day hunger strike. “Governments have fallen over the price of onions. “I have lost 20 per cent of my body. It is time for this government to listen to the voice of the youth,” he had said in a video message, while reiterating his support for the students’ movement.

 Sonam Wangchuk is weak due to prolonged fasting and dehydration but is currently stable, Safdarjung Hospital said on Saturday.  “Mr Sonam Wangchuck is weak due to prolonged fasting and dehydration. Although he is currently stable, he requires continuous observation, monitoring and treatment to restore his body parameters,” the hospital said in a statement.

 Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke on Saturday announced an indefinite hunger strike, hours after the Delhi Police “forcefully took away” activist Sonam Wangchuk from the protest site in Jantar Mantar. “Abhijeet Dipke sits on an indefinite hunger strike. The ‘Chalo Sansad’ march on 20 July will proceed as planned,” the CJP said in a post on X.

In a separate post from his account, Abhijeet said, “I am starting an indefinite hunger strike beginning right now”. The development comes after the Delhi Police on Saturday morning cracked down on the protesters at Jantar Mantar and shifted Sonam Wangchuk to the Safdarjung Hospital.

In a statement, Delhi Police said Wangchuk was shifted for “essential medical care” following expert medical advice and in compliance with the high court’s orders. The police also appealed to the protesters to end their agitation, saying they should peacefully vacate the protest site at the earliest.

Soon after the police action, Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) founder Abhijit Dipke alleged that the protesters were subjected to a police crackdown.

“I have been beaten up and put under detention by Delhi Police,” Dipke said in a post on X.  Dipke claimed that police personnel arrived at the protest site early in the morning and removed Wangchuk by force.

“At 7 am, when I stepped out to freshen up, police goons arrived here. They dragged Sonam Sir away while hurling abuse at him. A 60-year-old man, who had been on a hunger strike for 20 days and hadn’t eaten a thing was forcibly dragged away by the Delhi Police.

“We have no idea where they have taken him. When I received the news and was on my way to Jantar Mantar from my friend’s house, the police assaulted me as well…These aren’t police officers; they are RSS goons. I had returned to my country from abroad; am I a criminal? They are goons–not police, but RSS goons,” he told reporters.

Meanwhile, Cockroach Janata Party Chief Spokesperson Saurav Das also claimed that police had detained Dipke and were removing Wangchuk from the protest site. “The Delhi Police has stopped Abhijeet Dipke where he was staying. People are telling me that Sonam Wangchuk is being picked up from the protest site. Students are being lathicharged!,” he wrote on X.

Wangchuk had been on an indefinite hunger strike since June 28 in support of the CJP-led protest over alleged irregularities in the NEET examination and the reported deaths of students linked to the controversy.

Dipke’s announcement came amid continued protests at Jantar Mantar, with AISA activists Neha, Aameen and Manish also carrying on with their hunger strike after Wangchuk’s hospitalisation.