NEW DELHI — In a major political escalation at Jantar Mantar, senior CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat joined the student-youth protest site on Saturday to register strong condemnation against the forceful removal of environmentalist and educator Sonam Wangchuk by the Delhi Police.
The police intervention occurred early Saturday morning as Wangchuk’s indefinite hunger strike entered its 21st day. Organised in coordination with the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), the fast aims to enforce accountability for the recent NEET-UG paper leak irregularities, secure the immediate resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, and demand systemic overhauls within the national examination system.
The Eviction and Immediate Backlash
Security forces entered the protest venue at dawn, transferring a severely weakened Wangchuk to VMMC & Safdarjung Hospital. Authorities maintained that the action complied with a Delhi High Court directive focused on preserving life, citing medical warnings that the activist had lost over 9 kilograms and faced potential organ distress. However, the move sparked minor scuffles at the venue, with student groups labelling the evacuation an illegal detention meant to fracture the agitation before a planned legislative march.
Arriving at the site shortly after the clearance operation, Brinda Karat extended the CPI(M)’s formal solidarity to the remaining youth and student cadres who have vowed to sustain the demonstration.
"What happened this morning with Sonam Wangchuk was an act of bulldozing democratic and constitutional values," Karat stated while addressing reporters at the site, attributing the heavy-handed approach directly to administrative panic over the growing cross-party support for the student community.
Core Focus Areas of the Joint Front
| Objective | Operational Targets & Demands |
| Ministerial Resignation | The immediate removal of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over structural failures. |
| Investigative Oversight | A comprehensive judicial probe into the paper leak and a direct overhaul of the National Testing Agency (NTA). |
| Next Operational Phase | Despite the site clearance notices, the alliance has affirmed it will execute its March to Parliament on Monday, July 20. |
The containment attempt appears to have widened the conflict, shifting it from a localized student sit-in into a broader political frontline. Following Wangchuk's hospitalization, CJP founding president Abhijeet Dipke immediately commenced an independent, indefinite hunger strike at Jantar Mantar to maintain the momentum of the agitation heading into the upcoming parliamentary session.
