'It's a shame': Opposition slams Sonam Wangchuk's removal from Jantar Mantar; BJP defends move

Opposition leaders in India have strongly condemned the Delhi Police's action of removing climate activist Sonam Wangchuk from Jantar Mantar, where he was on an indefinite hunger strike for 21 days. Wangchuk was protesting alleged irregularities in competitive examinations, including the NEET paper leak.

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The core tenets of the 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.

Rahul Gandhi, leader of the opposition, stated that the removal of Wangchuk, who was on a non-violent hunger strike, was wrong. He criticized the Modi government's core principles of "Asatya and Hinsa" (untruth and violence) and emphasized that paper leaks, rising education costs, and student suicides are critical issues for India's future. Gandhi asserted that force cannot deter students or their supporters from raising these concerns.

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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.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge accused the BJP-led government of suppressing dissent, labeling anyone who raises their voice as an 'Anti-National' or 'parasite.' Congress leader Pawan Khera described the action as an attack on democratic rights, questioning the role of the newly appointed Delhi Police commissioner and suggesting the crackdown was the commissioner's first task, sending a "chilling message."

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..this tyrannical government has spared no one. In their eyes, anyone who raises their voice is an ‘Anti-National,’ a ‘parasite’!

Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal urged the government to engage with Wangchuk rather than forcibly removing him, calling the actions "arrogant." Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra termed the incident a "kidnapping," while TMC chief Mamata Banerjee expressed concern over Wangchuk's health. The police maintained that the removal was necessary for health monitoring in line with court directions.

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It is a shame that the world’s largest democracy is being ‘ruled’ by the most undemocratic and anti-democratic political party of the world… The Delhi Police reports directly to the Home Ministry – the very Ministry that appointed a new Police Commissioner in Delhi just yesterday. If today’s crackdown is his first brief, it sends a chilling message.