New Delhi, July 19, 2026: The Delhi High Court on Saturday declined interim relief to Gitanjali Angmo, wife of activist Sonam Wangchuk, seeking his transfer from Safdarjung Hospital to a private facility of her choice. The court accepted the Centre’s submission that the activist’s shift to the government hospital was a medical decision necessitated by his deteriorating condition after nearly three weeks of hunger strike.
Wangchuk, who has been on an indefinite fast for over 21–22 days as part of youth-led protests against alleged irregularities in the NEET-UG 2026 examinations, was forcibly taken to Safdarjung Hospital by Delhi Police on Saturday. His wife argued in court that she had “lost faith” in the government facility and cited delays in medical reporting and police presence as reasons for seeking a transfer to a hospital like Medanta.
The court noted that Wangchuk’s condition was “perilous,” with dangerously low potassium levels. According to the hospital, he remains conscious and alert with stable vital parameters, but is receiving medical intervention for altered blood parameters due to prolonged fasting. He has consented to some medicines but has refused IV fluids, continuing to take water. Medical Superintendent Dr. Charu Bamba stated that complications could arise if the fast continues.
### Wife Questions Government Intervention
Addressing the media outside Safdarjung Hospital after the hearing, Gitanjali Angmo asserted that her husband’s health was stable and there was “no need for government intervention.” She claimed he had previously fasted for 35 days in Ladakh without issue and maintained normal blood pressure readings (~110/70) before hospitalization.
Angmo alleged a “trust deficit” in government institutions, pointing to a 10-hour delay in sample testing and heavy police presence at the hospital. She criticized the interpretation of the PIL and said the family would appeal the court’s order to rectify errors. “This is a fundamental right,” she said, emphasizing the right to choose treatment and doctors.
She also raised concerns about restricted access, stating that Wangchuk’s personal physician had no access and that plainclothes police had taken his belongings, including his tablet. “If he is not in detention, he should have free access,” Angmo said.
### Call for ‘Second Freedom Movement’
From the hospital, Wangchuk issued a handwritten message describing the planned July 20 march to Parliament as India’s “second freedom movement,” calling for “freedom from fear” and “freedom from injustice.” He urged supporters to make the mobilisation a “big success” even in his absence. Angmo conveyed that numbers at the protest would double without him and appealed for peaceful participation, warning against disruptive elements.
The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which has been spearheading the protests at Jantar Mantar, continued demonstrations overnight and called for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation. CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke appealed to protesters to gather at Jantar Mantar on Sunday evening ahead of the march. Fasting students from AISA, including PhD scholars from JNU, AUD, and Allahabad University, remained at the site despite alleged attempts by police to move them.
### Political Reactions and Support
Several opposition leaders and parties have rallied behind the protesters:
- Maharashtra Congress MLA Nana Patole accused the government of a “dictatorial” attitude and undermining democracy.
- AAP MP Sanjay Singh moved a notice in Rajya Sabha to discuss the NEET paper leak and Wangchuk’s health.
- Congress leader Sachin Pilot said the government was rattled and suppressing dissent instead of engaging in dialogue.
- Former Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik urged Parliament to prioritise the examination integrity issue and called for talks with students.
- Raijor Dal chief Akhil Gogoi condemned the “forcible” hospitalisation as a violation of rights and demanded Wangchuk’s release and Pradhan’s resignation.
Manish Sisodia is also scheduled to join the Jantar Mantar protest.
The protests, which have spread to cities like Bengaluru, centre on demands for accountability over the NEET-UG paper leak scandal and the resignation of the Education Minister. Wangchuk, a prominent educationist and climate activist from Ladakh known for his earlier agitations, has become a focal point of the youth movement.
As the Monsoon Session of Parliament begins on Monday, July 20, tensions are high with expectations of large-scale mobilisation at the Parliament march. Authorities and protesters remain locked in a standoff as the activist continues his fast from the hospital.