Sonam Wangchuk shifted from Safdarjung to Medanta Hospital after court orders
NEW DELHI, July 21: In a dramatic escalation, opposition leaders including Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav were forcibly removed and detained by Delhi Police on Tuesday after staging a sit-in outside Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence demanding his resignation.
The surprise dharna in the high-security zone began around 3:30 pm, shortly after Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi visited injured students in hospital. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, Kerala Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan and several MPs joined them. Akhilesh Yadav and NCP-SP leader Supriya Sule arrived later. The leaders symbolically tied their hands while raising slogans against the government.
Minister of State in the PMO Jitendra Singh and Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan rushed to the site and held brief talks with Gandhi. The discussions remained inconclusive. Soon after they left, police swooped in. Gandhi was seen lying on the ground and resisting as personnel tried to lift him. An aide confirmed he suffered an injury below the eye and near his nose, along with minor injuries on his hands and legs.
“Democracy in India is happening right now,” Gandhi said as he was being removed. Priyanka Gandhi was filmed clinging to the door of a police bus even as it began moving.
Rahul Gandhi was taken to Chhatrasal Stadium in Model Town and released a few hours later. Priyanka Gandhi and some other MPs were taken to Mandir Marg police station, where Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi visited them.
They too were released after a few hours. Other leaders were taken to Kingsway Camp police station and freed later.
Rahul demands apology and debate
After his release, Gandhi said in a video that the opposition decided on the sit-in once it became clear the government had no intention of scheduling a debate on the students’ issue.
“The idea was to protest outside the prime minister’s residence in order to bring to national attention the issues related to students, the way they were attacked by the Delhi Police on Monday,” he said.
Kharge called the government “tyrannical” and said it was “trembling in fear.” Jairam Ramesh termed the action “Amit-shahi.”
Singh later accused Gandhi of “backtracking” from his demand for a debate and said the government was ready to discuss all NEET-related issues in Parliament.
Cong exploiting students as political tools: Pradhan
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan asserted on Tuesday that the government is committed to discussing issues related to the NEET and addressing every genuine concern of youngsters on the floor of Parliament.
Pradhan also slammed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for staging a dharna outside Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence and accused him of exploiting students as “political tools” to “manufacture” disruption during the Monsoon session of Parliament.
“LoP Shri @RahulGandhi and @INCIndia continue to shamelessly exploit students as political tools to manufacture disruption during the Monsoon Session of Parliament. They chose to stage a dharna outside the Hon’ble Prime Minister’s residence, causing inconvenience to the public and disregarding established security protocols,” Pradhan said in a post on X.
“Even after Government conveyed its readiness for a comprehensive discussion, the Congress chose political spectacle over democratic debate. Their objective was never solutions for students, it was disruption for political headlines. For Rahul Gandhi, this is not about students. This is about manufacturing confrontation after every genuine avenue for discussion has been opened,” he added.
Wangchuk shifted to Medanta Hospital
Climate and education activist Sonam Wangchuk, on an indefinite fast since June 28 over alleged examination irregularities, was shifted from Safdarjung Hospital to Medanta Hospital in Gurugram late Tuesday evening following a Delhi High Court order. He was discharged from Safdarjung at 6:40 pm with stable vital parameters, though pancytopenia persisted and his serum potassium stood at 3.4 mEq/L.
Wangchuk was brought to Medanta in an ambulance at 7:28 pm under tight security and admitted to ICU 8 under the supervision of internal medicine specialist Dr Sushila Kataria. The High Court bench of Chief Justice D.K. Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia directed the transfer on an appeal by his wife Gitanjali Angmo, holding that shifting him to a hospital of his choice would uphold his fundamental rights under Articles 19 and 21. Gurugram police enhanced security around the hospital.
Police register FIRs, deny excesses
Delhi Police said more than 118 personnel and around 60 protesters were injured on Monday, with over 20 vehicles damaged. Four FIRs have been registered so far, with more expected, for rioting, assault and damage to public property. Police rejected claims of pellet gun use as “false and misleading” and confirmed no protester remained in detention by Tuesday evening.
Delhi Police registered six FIRs so far in connection with the alleged violence, vandalism and other incidents during the “Chalo Sansad” march organised by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) and farmers’ groups on July 20, sources said on Tuesday.
Police are likely to probe a “larger and criminal conspiracy” behind the entire matter, sources said. (PTI)
