I have been beaten and put under detention by Delhi Police: Abhijeet Dipke

New Delhi: Abhijeet Dipke, founder of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), claimed that he was detained by Delhi Police and that officers used force against protesters while forcibly removing climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, who was later taken to hospital after remaining on an indefinite hunger strike for 20 days.

In a post on X, Dipke claimed he had been assaulted and detained during the police action.

"I have been beaten and put under detention by Delhi Police. Delhi Police is cracking down at Jantar Mantar. Beating up people and taking away Sonam sir forcefully," he said.

Earlier on Saturday, Delhi Police shifted Wangchuk to hospital after he had remained on an indefinite hunger strike for 20 days.

Delhi Police defended its action, saying it shifted Wangchuk to hospital in compliance with the Delhi High Court's directions and on the advice of medical experts due to his deteriorating health.

In a post on X, Delhi Police said, "As per orders of Hon’ble High Court and on expert medical advise due to the deteriorating health condition of Sh. Sonam Wangchuk, he has been shifted to the hospital for essential medical care. While complying with the orders of Hon’ble High Court the protestors tried to create obstruction, in which slight commotion ensued, however police took maximum restrain and undertook the exercise safely. We request the protestors at Jantar Mantar to peacefully vacate the place at the earliest."

The protest at Jantar Mantar has been underway since June 20, with demonstrators demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged irregularities in the NEET examination, a judicial probe into the alleged examination scams and wider reforms in the examination system.

Wangchuk joined the agitation on June 28 and had remained on an indefinite hunger strike since then.

There was no immediate response from Delhi Police to Dipke's allegations of assault and forcible detention.

The developments come amid heightened tension at the protest site, where police moved in to clear demonstrators and shifted Wangchuk to hospital after his prolonged fast.

On Thursday, doctors warned that his condition had entered a critical stage due to the prolonged fast and that the next phase could be alarming, with the possibility of organ damage if the hunger strike continued.

Wangchuk, however, has refused to call off the fast, saying that ending it without any response from the government would send the wrong message. He has maintained that the focus should now be on making the July 20 Parliament march a success.

The issue has also reached the Delhi High Court, which directed authorities to monitor Wangchuk's health daily and provide medical assistance if his condition deteriorates.