‘They decide who may or may not meet him’: Wangchuk's wife slams heavy police presence at hospital
New Delhi: Gitanjali J Angmo, wife of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, on Saturday questioned the heavy police presence at hospitals where her husband has been undergoing treatment, asking under what authority officers were regulating access to him despite a court clarifying that he was not under detention.
In a post on X, Angmo alleged that police personnel had been stationed throughout both Safdarjung Hospital and Medanta Hospital, including outside Wangchuk's ICU, and were deciding who could meet him.
"At both Safdarjung and now Medanta, police are everywhere. At the main gate. The reception. The lifts. Outside @Wangchuk66's ICU. They decide who may or may not meet him. If the Court has clarified that he is not under detention, then under what authority is this happening? In an enlightened democracy, is the role of the police to protect citizens and uphold the law, or to control citizens on behalf of those in power? These are questions every Indian should be asking," wrote Gitanjali J Angmo in X.
Her remarks come a day after Wangchuk responded to criticism over his decision to end his 26-day hunger strike, which he had undertaken in support of students protesting the alleged NEET paper leak.
In a video message shared on social media, Wangchuk questioned why his commitment to the movement required what he described as a "character certificate."
The activist ended his hunger strike on Friday after receiving a written assurance from the Union Government regarding the NEET examination issue and systemic reforms in the country's competitive testing framework.
Wangchuk also revealed that while the Centre had earlier given verbal assurances, he insisted on a written commitment, which delayed the conclusion of his fast by two days.
Meanwhile, after a nearly two-hour meeting with Union Ministers JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh, representatives of the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) said the government had sought time until Saturday afternoon to deliberate on their demand for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.