Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk's ongoing hunger strike at Delhi's Jantar Mantar sparked fresh controversy after the organisers alleged that unidentified individuals attempted to attack him during the protest. The activist, however, was not injured in the alleged incident.
CJP Founder Alleges Attack On Sonam Wangchuk Done To Disrupt Protest
Abhijeet Dipke, founder of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) and one of the organisers supporting the demonstration, claimed that an object was thrown towards Wangchuk during the protest on Friday. In a statement posted on X, Dipke said, "Goons tried to attack Sonam sir at Jantar Mantar. An object was thrown at him, but fortunately, he was not hurt."
Dipke further alleged that he had earlier received information from a police insider warning that people could be sent to the protest site to create disturbances. He accused the authorities of failing to prevent repeated attempts to disrupt what he described as a peaceful agitation.
"If anything happens to Sonam sir, the government will be responsible as there's clearly a plan to dismantle the peaceful protest at Jantar Mantar," Dipke alleged, adding that several incidents of disruption occurred during the day but police did not intervene for hours. As of Saturday morning, Delhi Police had not publicly confirmed the alleged incident or issued any statement responding to the claims.
The controversy comes as Wangchuk entered the 21st consecutive day of his indefinite hunger strike, launched to demand the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the alleged NEET-UG paper leak and other examination-related irregularities.
Sonam Wangchuk's Health Keeps Deteriorating
Meanwhile, doctors monitoring the activist have expressed concern over his deteriorating health. According to the latest medical update released on Friday, Wangchuk's weight has dropped to 56.55 kg, a decline of 350 grams in the last 24 hours. His blood pressure was recorded at 108/68 mmHg, while his blood sugar level stood at 70 mg/dL. Doctors also noted signs of mild dehydration.
