Indian activist and educationist Sonam Wangchuk was forcibly removed from his protest site in New Delhi and taken to a government hospital on Saturday, July 18th, 2026, after 21 days of hunger strike. Wangchuk, 59, had been fasting since June 28th to demand the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan following alleged irregularities and leaks in medical entrance examinations that affected millions of students.

The hunger strike was in solidarity with the youth-led satirical movement, the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which has organised protests at Delhi's Jantar Mantar and plans a march to India's parliament on Monday, July 20th. CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke, who has now begun an indefinite fast in Wangchuk's place, stated the protest will continue and called for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's resignation.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Sachin Sharma said Wangchuk's hospitalisation was carried out following medical advice and a court directive due to his deteriorating health condition. "Sonam Wangchuk has been moved to a government hospital for much-needed medical intervention and is currently under medical supervision," Sharma said. The court emphasized that "the life of any citizen is precious," following a petition warning that Wangchuk may not survive if he does not break his fast.

Wangchuk's wife, Gitanjali J Angmo, stated that "nothing should be administered to him orally or intravenously without consent from me, his family, and his doctors who have been monitoring his health for the past 20 days." Videos from the protest site showed police and paramilitary personnel moving Wangchuk amid some resistance from supporters. Police requested protesters to vacate the site peacefully.

The protests highlight widespread anger over the cancellation of a key medical entrance exam in May after exam papers were leaked, forcing about 2.2 million aspiring doctors to retake the test under heavy security.

Sources