New Delhi, July 18, 2026
After Delhi Police hospitalised climate activist Sonam Wangchuk over his deteriorating health following 20 days of hunger strike, Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition (LoP) and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday launched a scathing attack on the BJP-led Central government, accusing it of “Asatya (lies) and Hinsa (violence)”.
Taking to X with the hashtag ‘ChhatronKiGoonj’, LoP Gandhi said: “The core tenets of Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led 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.”
The Congress leader underlined that “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 love and believe in them, from raising these issues,” he asserted.
Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has been leading the agitation at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar seeking the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET paper leak.
Earlier in the day, Congress leader Pawan Khera and other Opposition leaders, including former West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, NCP-SP supremo Sharad Pawar and Shiv Sena-UBT MP Sanjay Raut, also condemned the police action against Sonam Wangchuk.
In a post on X, Banerjee said that Wangchuk’s voice was ignored, just as the voices of countless young Indians continue to be ignored.
“Deeply concerned about Sonam Wangchuk’s health and well-being. He asked only for dialogue, yet his appeal has been met with silence for weeks. 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,” said the former Chief Minister.
Criticising the Union government, Congress leader Pawan Khera said: “Our Constitution guarantees the right to dissent. The Home Ministry appears determined to deny it.”
Speaking to reporters, Sharad Pawar said: “We had anticipated that they would arrest him within five or six days, and that is exactly what has happened…Despite the growing protests, the central government has remained a mute spectator. That is why other political parties have stepped in to support the movement.”
Echoing similar views, Sanjay Raut labelled the move by Delhi Police as sheer authoritarianism and a ploy to divert attention from the Ram Raksha protest in Maharashtra.(Agency)
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