Sonam Wangchuk continues hunger strike, July 20 Parliament march on, says wife Gitanjali Angmo

Speaking to reporters outside the Hospital, Angmo said, "July 20 march is confirmed. Changing the education system is the responsibility of the executive and policymakers. Our job is to tell them that the system has completely collapsed."

She said the movement had gone beyond the issue of the NEET paper leak and had become a broader campaign for reforms in the education system.

"This movement is not just against the paper leak. It is to awaken the conscience of the whole country, and it has awakened to a sufficient extent," she said.

Angmo said Wangchuk had refused electrolyte powder and continued with his fast.

"Sonam Wangchuk has fasted for 20 days, and it is still going on. The doctors spoke about giving him electrolyte powder, but he refused. His fast is still continuing," she said.

Questioning the circumstances surrounding his hospitalisation, Angmo said the Delhi High Court had directed regular health monitoring but had not ordered hospitalisation.

"Regarding the High Court order, the order never mandated hospitalisation. It simply stated that an individual''s health is paramount and must be monitored at regular intervals; it did not order hospitalisation. So, this is not in accordance with the High Court order. No treatment is underway right now. Only observation and tests are being conducted, and we are actually going to get the tests done at an external lab," she said.

She further said that the family wanted to independently verify the medical reports before any treatment was administered.

"Since they aren''t providing the reports we requested, and regarding the figures they are citing, like the potassium level reaching 2.9. It was 4.3 yesterday, so it couldn''t have changed to that today. We want to cross-check this with another lab before administering any medication," Angmo said.

Angmo added that Wangchuk was not consuming sugar and was continuing his fast with only salt water.

"He is still fasting; the fast is continuing because he isn''t consuming any sugar. He is only taking the water with salt that he was consuming earlier," she said.

"I am grateful that the government cared enough to bring him here, but we will handle the next steps ourselves; there is no need for government interference in this matter. He is definitely weak and losing muscle mass--which happens during any fast, but he is alert and very strong," Angmo added.

Replying to a question on whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi or any senior government leader could intervene to end the fast, Angmo said she did not see such a possibility.

"That era was different; this era is different. I don''t think there is any such possibility," she said.

Her remarks came after Delhi Police took away Wangchuk from the Jantar Mantar protest site to Safdarjung Hospital on Saturday morning.

Safdarjung Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr Charu Bamba said Wangchuk was stable but had mild dehydration and weakness due to prolonged fasting.

"Sonam Wangchuk arrived at our hospital around 7:40 AM. He is somewhat weak due to prolonged fasting and is experiencing mild dehydration; otherwise, all his vital parameters are stable. He is being continuously examined and monitored, and his treatment is underway," Dr Bamba said.

Delhi Police said Wangchuk was shifted to the hospital in compliance with the High Court''s directions and on medical advice due to his deteriorating health, adding that maximum restraint was exercised during the operation.

Wangchuk has been on a hunger strike for the past 20 days, demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged nationwide examination irregularities, including the NEET paper leak controversy.

Members of left student organisations also joined the protest organised by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) at Jantar Mantar.

CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke said the protest would continue despite the police action and announced that he would continue an indefinite hunger strike. (ANI)