Sonam Wangchuk continues hunger strike, July 20 Parliament march on, says wife Gitanjali Angmo

NEW DELHI: Gitanjali J Angmo, wife of Sonam Wangchuk, on Saturday said that the planned march to Parliament on July 20 would go ahead despite the climate activist’s transfer to Safdarjung Hospital by Delhi Police. She said that Wangchuk’s hunger strike continues.

Speaking to reporters outside the hospital, Angmo said, “July 20 march is confirmed. Changing the education system is the responsibility of the executive and policymakers. Our job is to tell them that the system has completely collapsed.”

She said the movement had gone beyond the issue of the NEET paper leak and had become a broader campaign for reforms in the education system. “This movement is not just against the paper leak. It is to awaken the conscience of the whole country, and it has awakened to a sufficient extent,” she said.

Angmo said Wangchuk had refused electrolyte powder and continued with his fast. “Sonam Wangchuk has fasted for 20 days, and it is still going on. The doctors spoke about giving him electrolyte powder, but he refused. His fast is still continuing,” she said.

#WATCH | Delhi: Activist Sonam Wangchuk’s wife, Gitanjali J Angmo, says, “Regarding the High Court order, the order never mandated hospitalization. It simply stated that an individual’s health is paramount and must be monitored at regular intervals; it did not order… pic.twitter.com/Snh7R0Iw5r

— ANI (@ANI) July 18, 2026

Questioning the circumstances surrounding his hospitalisation, Angmo said the Delhi High Court had directed regular health monitoring but had not ordered hospitalisation.

“Regarding the High Court order, the order never mandated hospitalisation. It simply stated that an individual’s health is paramount and must be monitored at regular intervals; it did not order hospitalisation. So, this is not in accordance with the High Court order. No treatment is underway right now. Only observation and tests are being conducted, and we are actually going to get the tests done at an external lab,” she said.

She further said that the family wanted to independently verify the medical reports before any treatment was administered. “Since they aren’t providing the reports we requested, and regarding the figures they are citing, like the potassium level reaching 2.9. It was 4.3 yesterday, so it couldn’t have changed to that today. We want to cross-check this with another lab before administering any medication,” Angmo said.

Angmo added that Wangchuk was not consuming sugar and was continuing his fast with only salt water. “He is still fasting; the fast is continuing because he isn’t consuming any sugar. He is only taking the water with salt that he was consuming earlier,” she said.

“I am grateful that the government cared enough to bring him here, but we will handle the next steps ourselves; there is no need for government interference in this matter. He is definitely weak and losing muscle mass–which happens during any fast, but he is alert and very strong,” Angmo added.

Replying to a question on whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi or any senior government leader could intervene to end the fast, Angmo said she did not see such a possibility. “That era was different; this era is different. I don’t think there is any such possibility,” she said.

Earlier, Gitanjali urged doctors at Delhi’s Safdarjung Hospital not to administer any oral or intravenous treatment to her husband without the consent of his family and the medical team that had been monitoring his health during his 20-day hunger strike.

In a post shared on X, Angmo said, “I am at Safdarjung hospital in Delhi where @Wangchuk66 has been admitted. Nothing should be administered to him orally or intravenous without taking consent from me, his family and his doctors who have been monitoring his health for the past 20 days.”

I am at Safdarjung hospital in Delhi where @Wangchuk66 has been admitted. Nothing should be administered to him orally or intravenous without take consent from me, his family and his doctors who have been monitoring his health for the past 20 days.

— Gitanjali J Angmo (@GitanjaliAngmo) July 18, 2026

Her statement came after Wangchuk was taken to Safdarjung Hospital on Saturday morning after being removed from the Jantar Mantar protest site by Delhi Police.

Meanwhile, Delhi Police removed protesters from the Jantar Mantar protest site following Wangchuk’s hospitalisation, with a heavy deployment of personnel seen in the area as protesters were asked to vacate the site.

In a post on X, the 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.

“As per orders of Hon’ble High Court and on expert medical advise 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 Hon’ble High Court the protestors tried to create obstruction, in which slight commotion ensued, however police took maximum restrain and undertook the exercise safely,” the DCP said.

DCP New Delhi Sachin Sharma later told reporters that Wangchuk had been shifted to an appropriate government hospital for much-needed medical intervention and was under medical supervision.

The police action drew sharp criticism from several Opposition leaders. AAP leaders Manish Sisodia, Sanjay Singh and Saurabh Bharadwaj alleged that the government was suppressing peaceful protests, while Trinamool Congress leader Sagarika Ghose and Samajwadi Party MP Dimple Yadav also condemned the action.

Meanwhile, 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 that Dipke had been stopped by Delhi Police and that students at the protest site were lathi-charged. There was no immediate official response to these allegations.

Wangchuk has been on a hunger strike 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, observing 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.

Safdarjung Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr Charu Bamba said Wangchuk was stable but had mild dehydration and weakness due to prolonged fasting. “Sonam Wangchuk arrived at our hospital around 7:40 AM. He is somewhat weak due to prolonged fasting and is experiencing mild dehydration; otherwise, all his vital parameters are stable. He is being continuously examined and monitored, and his treatment is underway,” Dr Bamba said.

Delhi Police said Wangchuk was shifted to the hospital in compliance with the High Court’s directions and on medical advice due to his deteriorating health, adding that maximum restraint was exercised during the operation.
Wangchuk has been on a hunger strike for the past 20 days, demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged nationwide examination irregularities, including the NEET paper leak controversy.

Members of left student organisations also joined the protest organised by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) at Jantar Mantar. CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke said the protest would continue despite the police action and announced that he would continue an indefinite hunger strike. (ANI)