ISLAMABAD: Activist Sonam Wangchuk has called on supporters to make the planned July 20 march to Parliament a success in a message shared on X, in which he described his situation as "illegal detention" and termed the campaign "India's 2nd Freedom Movement."
Wangchuk has described his hospitalization as an "illegal detention" in his first message to supporters since being forcibly removed from the site of his prolonged hunger strike at New Delhi's Jantar Mantar.
Wangchuk and the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) have demanded the resignation of Indian Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged irregularities in the Indian examination system and “paper leaks”.
According to his message from hospital, Wangchuk said his removal from Jantar Mantar amounted to illegal detention.
‘India's 2nd Freedom Movement’
He framed the CJP’s campaign as "India's 2nd Freedom Movement," seeking freedom from fear and injustice.
Urging supporters to make the CJP's planned march to Parliament on Monday, July 20, a success, the activist called on people to participate in the campaign.
‘March will remain peaceful’
In a post on X, CJP Founding President Abhijeet Dipke wrote: "The March on 20 July will take place, as Sonam Sir has decided. I request all supporters to reach Jantar Mantar.”
“Both our protest and the march will remain peaceful. Anyone who creates any kind of disruption or raises negative slogans cannot be a supporter of Sonam Sir or CJP," he added.
Wangchuk's wife approaches court
The wife of an Indian hunger strike activist taken to hospital against his will accused the government on Sunday of "illegal detention" disguised as medical care.
Gitanjali J Angmo, Wangchuk's wife, said that she "lost faith" in the government hospital, which she said refused her desire to move her husband to a private facility.
"With around 30 police personnel stationed on our floor and well over 100 across the hospital, our movement is severely restricted," Angmo said.
"It is not medical care. It is illegal detention," she said, adding she asked the High Court to allow her to move Wangchuk.
The hospital late Saturday said that Wangchuk hadn't yet consented to recommended medical interventions.
"Despite repeated counselling by the treating team and the independent expert regarding the urgent need for treatment, the patient has declined intravenous fluids, oral rehydration solution and all medications," the hospital said.
India's parliament session starts Monday, and opposition parties have backed Wangchuk, and ongoing protests in New Delhi, where a few hundred students had joined him around his stage in recent weeks.
