Sonam Wangchuk's wife breaks silence, says no treatment without her consent: ‘Will hold everyone accountable if…’
Hours after the Delhi Police moved Sonam Wangchuk to the hospital on Saturday, the activist's wife said no medical treatment should be administered to him without her consent. It is the 21st day, a full three weeks, of Wangchuk's indefinite hunger strike demanding the resignation of Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan over exam paper leaks and student suicides.
Environmentalist Sonam Wangchuk with his wife Gitanjali J Angmo, on the 20th day of his indefinite hunger strike. (ANI)He should not have been taken to the hospital, Gitanjali J Angmo, his wife, said. She is now at the Safdarjung hospital and asks authorities to not give him any medication without consulting either her, his family or his doctors.
“I am at Safdarjung hospital in Delhi where [Sonam Wangchuk] has been admitted,” she wrote on X. Track the CJP protest chaos live here
“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.”
"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 PTI.
She said Wangchuk was well 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.
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The Delhi Police said Wangchuk was shifted to the Safdarjung hospital for "essential medical care" following expert medical advice and in compliance with directions issued by the Delhi High Court.
DCP (New Delhi) Sachin Sharma told HT, "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. We request the protestors at Jantar Mantar to peacefully vacate the place at the earliest."
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Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) chief spokesperson Saurav Das alleged that the Delhi Police had misinterpreted the Delhi High Court's directions while shifting Sonam Wangchuk to hospital and termed his detention a contempt of court.
“The Delhi High Court directed that the health of Sonam Wangchuk should be monitored and any intervention should only take place if his health deteriorates. His health is monitored by our medical team 2-3 times a day and he himself posts videos on a daily basis giving update about his health which has been stable. The Delhi police has misinterpreted that court order and in the guise of that order detained him. The detention is a contempt of court’s order,” Das said.
CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke on Saturday began an indefinite hunger strike after Wangchuk was taken to Safdarjung Hospital earlier in the day.
Dipke wrote on X, "I am starting an indefinite hunger strike beginning right now."
In a separate post, the CJP said, "Abhijeet Dipke sits on an indefinite hunger strike. The ‘Chalo Sansad’ march on 20 July will proceed as planned."
Wangchuk joined the CJP-led protest at Jantar Mantar on June 28 and has been on an indefinite hunger strike since then in support of the group's demand for Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation.
On Friday, he also appealed to people across the country to participate in the CJP's proposed "Chalo Sansad" march on July 20.
The hospitalisation came hours after Dipke alleged that an object was thrown at Wangchuk during the protest on Friday. He claimed Wangchuk was not injured but said “goons” attempted to attack him.
He also claimed to have received information from "an insider in the police" that people would be sent to disrupt the demonstration.
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Minutes later, Dipke, on X, claimed police used force against protesters and beat and detained him. Saurav Das also alleged that police lathi-charged students at the protest site.
Students at Jantar Mantar also claimed that police attempted to remove three other protesters who had also been on a hunger strike for the past 21 days.
DCP Sachin Sharma has denied that police beat up Dipke or any protesters. He said they were only trying to remove Sonam Wangchuk.
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