NEW DELHI: Authorities in India’s capital moved social activist Sonam Wangchuk to a hospital against his wishes on Saturday after his condition worsened on the 21st day of a hunger strike.
Wangchuk, 59, launched the fast to demand the resignation of the federal education minister over nationwide exam paper leaks.
He had been fasting since June 28 in solidarity with India’s youth Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which is demanding Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan step down over exam leaks in May that affected millions of students.
Television footage on Saturday showed dozens of security personnel, some in plainclothes, holding large white cloth sheets like a curtain on a stage created for the protest before Wangchuk was taken away.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Sachin Sharma said the action followed a Thursday directive from the Delhi High Court to monitor the activist’s health closely and intervene if needed.
“In compliance with the court’s order, and based on health conditions and medical advice, Wangchuk has been moved from here to an appropriate government hospital for much-needed medical intervention,” Sharma told reporters at the site.
Wangchuk told government doctors on Friday that he did not wish to be moved, and hospital authorities said he was refusing treatment. Satish Lamba, Wangchuk’s personal physician, said the current medical concern is the risk of hypokalemia, a sudden drop in blood potassium levels that can be life-threatening.
Wangchuk’s campaign has emerged as a rare public challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, drawing massive support on social media. Following his removal, police asked CJP supporters to vacate the venue. However, a few hundred returned later in the day as CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke began his own indefinite hunger strike. Protesters plan to march to India’s parliament on July 20 to press for resignation and seek exam reforms.
Published in Dawn, July 19th, 2026