Delhi Police Hospitalize Sonam Wangchuk After 20-Day Hunger Strike as Protesters Press 20 July March
Updated
Updated · BBC.com · Jul 18
Delhi Police Hospitalize Sonam Wangchuk After 20-Day Hunger Strike as Protesters Press 20 July March
3 articles · Updated · BBC.com · Jul 18
Summary
Safdarjung hospital admitted Sonam Wangchuk after police and paramilitary personnel forcibly removed the 59-year-old from Delhi's Jantar Mantar protest site early Saturday.
More than 20 days of fasting on only salt and water left Wangchuk down over 9kg and in severe pain; police said the move followed medical advice and a Delhi High Court order to monitor his health.
Videos showed officers pushing back protesters, covering Wangchuk with bedsheets and taking him away by ambulance, while his wife urged that no oral or intravenous treatment be given without family and doctors' consent.
Abhijeet Dipke, founder of the Cockroach Janta Party, began an indefinite fast in Wangchuk's place and said the planned 20 July march to parliament would proceed.
The satirical movement, launched in May over exam paper leaks and education reform, widened its demands from Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's after the removal.
Can an online army of 'cockroaches' with 22 million followers actually force political change in India?
Was forcibly hospitalizing a famed activist a life-saving duty or a way to silence a growing protest?
Are India's exam leaks just a symptom of a much deeper and more explosive youth unemployment crisis?
NEET-UG Paper Leak Sparks 20-Day Hunger Strike: Sonam Wangchuk Hospitalized Amid Ladakh and Student Protests
Overview
On July 18, 2026, after 20 days of hunger strike, Sonam Wangchuk was forcibly hospitalized, marking a turning point in the protest for Ladakh’s statehood and constitutional safeguards. This happened just two days before a planned march to Parliament, intensifying the movement’s urgency. The Delhi High Court began actively monitoring Wangchuk’s health, issuing directives for his care. Meanwhile, the protest site saw increased tension, with supporters unaware of Wangchuk’s location and reporting police obstruction. These developments highlight the protest’s escalating stakes and the authorities’ growing involvement as the movement pushes forward.