Rahul Gandhi Slams Centre Over Sonam Wangchuk’s Hospitalisation, Says ‘Force Cannot Silence Students’

New Delhi, July 2026 : Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday strongly criticised the BJP-led Central government after climate activist and education reform campaigner Sonam Wangchuk was shifted to hospital following a prolonged hunger strike at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar. Gandhi accused the government of responding to peaceful dissent with “lies and violence” instead of dialogue.

Posting on social media platform X with the hashtag #ChhatronKiGoonj, Rahul Gandhi alleged that the Narendra Modi government was built on the principles of “Asatya (falsehood) and Hinsa (violence).” He said that forcibly removing Wangchuk from the protest site while he was observing a peaceful hunger strike was unacceptable in a democratic society.

“The core tenets of the Narendra Modi government are ‘Asatya’ and ‘Hinsa’. The removal of Sonam Wangchuk ji from Jantar Mantar while he was on a non-violent hunger strike is wrong,” Gandhi wrote.

The Congress leader emphasised that issues such as repeated examination paper leaks, the rising cost of education and increasing incidents of student suicides directly affect the future of millions of young Indians and deserve urgent attention rather than suppression.

He asserted that no amount of force could stop students or those standing with them from raising these concerns. “Paper leaks, the rising cost of education and student suicides are critical issues for India’s future. No amount of force can deter India’s students, and those of us who believe in them, from raising these issues,” Gandhi said.

Sonam Wangchuk, who had been on a hunger strike at Jantar Mantar for over 20 days, was shifted to Delhi’s Safdarjung Hospital after his health reportedly deteriorated. The police said the action was taken in compliance with the Delhi High Court’s directions and on the advice of medical experts.

The protest has been spearheaded by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which is demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the alleged NEET examination paper leak and seeking broader reforms in the education system.

Several Opposition leaders also condemned the police action and expressed support for Wangchuk.

Trinamool Congress chief and former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said she was deeply concerned about Wangchuk’s health and criticised the government’s refusal to engage with him despite his repeated appeals for dialogue.

“In a democracy, peaceful dissent deserves engagement, not silence. His voice has been ignored, just as the voices of countless young Indians continue to be ignored,” Banerjee said in a post on X.

Congress leader Pawan Khera accused the Centre of undermining constitutional values, stating that while the Constitution guarantees citizens the right to dissent, the Union Home Ministry appeared determined to deny that right.

Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar faction) chief Sharad Pawar also criticised the government’s handling of the protest, saying his party had anticipated that Wangchuk would eventually be detained. He alleged that despite growing public concern, the Centre had remained a silent spectator, forcing Opposition parties to extend their support to the movement.

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut described the police action as authoritarian and claimed it was intended to divert attention from political protests taking place elsewhere in the country.

The hospitalisation of Wangchuk has further intensified the political debate over the government’s response to protests concerning alleged irregularities in the NEET examination and broader issues affecting students across India.

(The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the Mavericknews30 team.)