Social activist Anna Hazare has called on the central government to enter into discussions with educationist Sonam Wangchuk. Hazare emphasised that the government should not shy away from dialogue even when it disagrees with Wangchuk’s requests. He stated in a video message, “The government should not test his limits. Say yes or no to his demands, but what is wrong in holding discussions?”

Hazare’s comments were made shortly after the Delhi Police moved Wangchuk to Safdarjung Hospital due to health concerns on the twenty-first day of his indefinite hunger strike at Jantar Mantar. Wangchuk is demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan in light of allegations surrounding the NEET paper leak scandal.

According to police sources, Wangchuk’s hospital transfer was conducted on expert medical advice, as well as in adherence to a directive from the Delhi High Court regarding his deteriorating health.

Continued Protests Despite Wangchuk’s Hospitalisation

The agitation at Jantar Mantar persisted even after Sonam Wangchuk was taken to the hospital. Organisers confirmed that a planned march to Parliament on July 20 would proceed as scheduled, involving several participants. Three members of the All India Students’ Association (AISA) initiated their own indefinite fast at the protest site, demonstrating solidarity with Wangchuk’s cause.

Furthermore, Abhijit Dipke, the founder of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), commenced his own hunger strike in response to the police action. This ongoing unrest has sparked significant criticism from opposition parties regarding governmental handling of public dissent.

Opposition leaders have alleged that the government is suppressing peaceful protests and failing to address concerns relating to the NEET examination’s alleged irregularities. Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition, remarked that taking action against a peaceful hunger strike participant is unjust and criticised the government for its reliance on “Asatya and Hinsa” (falsehood and violence).

Political Reactions to Police Action

The police intervention drew widespread condemnation from a coalition of opposition parties, including Left parties and the Congress. They registered their disapproval at the government’s approach to protesters instead of addressing the legitimate issues surrounding education and examination integrity.

Political figures such as Arvind Kejriwal, the Aam Aadmi Party national convenor, visited Wangchuk in recent days and urged citizens to join the ongoing protests at Jantar Mantar. Other high-profile politicians, including Sharad Pawar, Akhilesh Yadav, Mamata Banerjee, and Aaditya Thackeray, have similarly called for the government to engage in meaningful dialogue with the protesters.

The Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation has accused the government of utilising “intimidation, force, and suppression” as a strategy to deal with growing public anger over corruption and systemic issues in the education sector. They reiterated their commitment to continue the protest and reaffirmed their calls for the resignation of Pradhan, disbanding the National Testing Agency (NTA), and scrapping the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

Other political leaders, including general secretary D Raja of the Communist Party of India, condemned the police’s removal of Wangchuk and others. They stated that rather than resorting to force, the government should seek to engage with protesters to provide accountability concerning the examination system’s shortcomings.

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