Sonam Wangchuk’s wife vows to lead Parliament march

NEW DELHI: Educationalist and climate activist Sonam Wangchuk‘s wife, Gitanjali J Angmo on Sunday said that she would lead the planned march to Parliament on Monday to represent her husband along with the students and parents protesting against the alleged NEET-UG paper leak, asserting that Wangchuk intends to continue his indefinite hunger strike.Her remarks came after the Delhi high court declined to grant urgent interim relief seeking Wangchuk’s immediate discharge from Safdarjung Hospital and his transfer to a private hospital.Speaking to reporters outside the Delhi high court, Angmo said she would participate in the march on behalf of Wangchuk, who was shifted to Safdarjung Hospital on Saturday after being removed from the protest site at Jantar Mantar.“I will definitely represent him in tomorrow’s protest. We filed an urgent petition today because, had we been allowed to shift today, we could have gone to Medanta and then arrived at the protest site by tomorrow morning. But we knew they wouldn’t allow that. I am ready to represent Sonam Wangchuk, and I will definitely join the march tomorrow,” she said.Appealing to those planning to join the march, Angmo urged protesters to remain peaceful and vigilant.“To all the students and parents coming to join the march tomorrow, I would say: keep two things in mind. First, let us conduct this march in a completely peaceful manner. Second, remain vigilant against nefarious elements who might try to disrupt it. Let us stay alert and avoid falling into their traps. Attempts might be made to incite trouble or give the event a different complexion,” she said.She also said Wangchuk remained determined to continue his fast despite being admitted to hospital.“Sonam wanted to continue the fast exactly as he had been observing it previously. He intends to continue the fast he has been maintaining. They have been urging him to consume fluids, but he refused, although he is drinking water,” Angmo said.Earlier in the day, Angmo described the Centre’s concern for Wangchuk’s health as a ‘charade’, alleging that the government feared his participation in the proposed Parliament march over the alleged NEET-UG paper leak.“They said they brought him in because they were deeply concerned about his health, as it was declining. But these claims are incorrect. First of all, his health was not deteriorating at all. If you look at the reports from the evening prior, everything was absolutely normal; his potassium level was 4.3, and all other parameters were normal too,” she said.She claimed Wangchuk’s health had not deteriorated before he was taken to Safdarjung Hospital and alleged that authorities could have informed the family before shifting him.“If you were truly so concerned about his health, why did you send police personnel in plain clothes? Why did you so ruthlessly pick him up, put him on a stretcher, and take him away? You could have simply come to conduct a medical test and informed his family. That is the proper way to handle things in a democracy,” she said.Reiterating her allegation, Angmo said, “If you were genuinely concerned about his health, then this whole narrative about health concerns is nothing but a charade. They were simply afraid that if Sonam set out on his march, hundreds of thousands of people would join him—not just in Delhi, but across the entire country—and they were trying to prevent that.”Angmo also alleged that Wangchuk was not being allowed to freely consult doctors of his choice and claimed the atmosphere at the hospital resembled the conditions during his detention in Jodhpur Jail following his arrest during the 2025 Ladakh protests.“He is not being allowed to meet his doctors. We want to consult our doctors, whom we are comfortable with. The police are constantly surveilling. When I am in the room with him, a constable accompanies me. The environment is similar to Jodhpur Jail. I was not allowed to carry my phone, and Sonam was not handed over his tablet. When we asked for orders, the police personnel had no written orders,” she alleged.The Delhi high court, however, refused to order Wangchuk’s transfer from Safdarjung Hospital, observing that the material placed before it did not indicate he was under illegal detention. The court noted that his wife, brother and other family members had unrestricted access to him and had been provided accommodation at the hospital.The court also referred to the earlier order directing daily medical monitoring and recorded the Centre’s submission that Wangchuk had been shifted to the government hospital because of his deteriorating medical condition. According to the medical opinion placed before the court, his sugar and sodium levels were below normal and his potassium level had fallen to a dangerously low level. The court noted that intravenous fluids had not been administered as Wangchuk had not consented to the treatment.

Security intensifies ahead of CJP’s ‘Chalo Sansad’ march

Meanwhile, security has been intensified across the New Delhi district ahead of the Monsoon Session of Parliament and the Cockroach Janta Party’s (CJP) proposed ‘Chalo Sansad’ march on Monday.In a statement, Delhi Police said no permission had been sought or granted for any march to Parliament by the CJP. It also said prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), formerly Section 144 of the CrPC, are in force across the New Delhi district.The police said protest marches, processions, demonstrations and assemblies of five or more persons are prohibited, except at the designated protest site at Jantar Mantar with prior permission.“As Parliament session is commencing from 20 July, strict security arrangements are in place to ensure public safety, security of protectees, and the protection of vital government installations,” the statement read.The police warned that anyone violating the prohibitory orders would be liable for prosecution under Section 223 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and other applicable provisions of law.Delhi Police also appealed to the public to respect the law, avoid participating in any unauthorised gathering or march and cooperate in maintaining public peace, safety and security.