BREAKING: Police 'Abduct' Sonam Wangchuk as Hunger Strike Hits 21 Days — Abhijeet Dipke Begins Indefinite Fast, Demands Modi's Resignation
Delhi Police forcibly shifts Sonam Wangchuk to hospital after 21-day hunger strike. CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke starts indefinite fast, alleges police brutality. July 20 Parliament march will proceed as planned.
🔴 BREAKING: Chaos at Jantar Mantar as Police 'Forcibly Removes' Wangchuk
In dramatic scenes that have sent shockwaves across India, Delhi Police forcibly shifted climate activist Sonam Wangchuk from the Jantar Mantar protest site to Safdarjung Hospital early Saturday morning — marking a explosive escalation in the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) movement [citation:1][citation:2][citation:5].
The 59-year-old activist, who has been on an indefinite hunger strike for 21 days in support of the CJP's demand for education reform, was removed from the protest stage at around 7:30 AM local time by dozens of police and paramilitary personnel [citation:1][citation:3][citation:7]. He had lost nearly 9.5 kg — over 20% of his body weight — during the fast [citation:1][citation:7].
*"They don't understand this is not a disease or disorder. It's a self-chosen path."* — Sonam Wangchuk to police officials as he was being escorted away [citation:2]
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🔥 'Kidnapped Like Criminals': CJP Founder Alleges Police Brutality
Abhijeet Dipke, the Boston University student who founded the Cockroach Janta Party, immediately condemned the action, calling it a "forceful abduction" [citation:3][citation:5][citation:9].
In a fiery address to supporters at Jantar Mantar, Dipke alleged:
*"They dragged Sonam Sir away while hurling abuse at him. A 60-year-old man who had been on a hunger strike for 20 days and hadn't eaten a thing was forcibly dragged away by the Delhi Police. We have no idea where they have taken him."* [citation:3][citation:5]
Dipke also claimed he was beaten and placed under house arrest by police when he tried to return to the protest site [citation:2][citation:3][citation:10].
CJP's New Demand: Modi Must Resign
In a significant escalation, the CJP has now expanded its demands. Until now, the movement was focused on the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET paper leak scandal. But after Saturday's police action, Dipke declared [citation:1]:
*"Until now, we were demanding Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation, but after this despicable act, we will now demand the resignation of Narendra Modi."* [citation:1]
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🩺 Wangchuk's Health: Hospital Says 'Stable'
Safdarjung Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr. Charu Bamba confirmed that Wangchuk is "fully alert and stable" but suffering from "mild dehydration and weakness due to prolonged fasting" [citation:1].
Wangchuk's Wife Issues Stern Warning
The activist's wife, Gitanjali Angmo, who rushed to the hospital, made a strong appeal:
*"Nothing should be administered to him orally or intravenously without taking consent from me, his family, and his doctors who have been monitoring his health for the past 20 days."* [citation:1][citation:3]
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👮 Police Justification: 'Following High Court Orders'
Delhi Police defended the action, stating that Wangchuk was hospitalized in compliance with a Delhi High Court order and on expert medical advice [citation:1][citation:4][citation:7].
Sachin Sharma, Deputy Commissioner of Police, said [citation:1][citation:4][citation:7]:
*"Sonam Wangchuk has been shifted to a government hospital for much-needed medical intervention and is currently under medical supervision."* [citation:1]
The High Court Order
On Thursday, the Delhi High Court had directed authorities to monitor Wangchuk's health daily and provide treatment if required [citation:1][citation:8][citation:11].
*"The life of any citizen is precious. Whatever medical intervention is needed to save Sonam Wangchuk's life should be done."* — Delhi High Court order [citation:11]
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💥 Chaotic Scenes at Jantar Mantar
Eyewitnesses and protesters described chaotic and violent scenes at the protest site [citation:6]:
- Police draped white curtains around the stage before removing Wangchuk [citation:2][citation:6][citation:11]
- Human chains formed by protesters failed to stop the police [citation:6]
- Some protesters were pushed and injured in the scuffle [citation:6]
- Protesters allege a lathi charge by police [citation:2][citation:4]
- Electricity was cut off at the protest site after Wangchuk's removal [citation:2]
🇮🇳 Dipke Begins Indefinite Hunger Strike: 'Movement Will Only Grow'
Within hours of Wangchuk's hospitalization, Abhijeet Dipke announced his own indefinite hunger strike at Jantar Mantar [citation:1][citation:2][citation:3].
*"I am starting an indefinite hunger strike beginning right now. I appeal to everyone: do not back down; this movement will only grow larger. They have made a grave mistake."* [citation:3][citation:5]
July 20 Parliament March: STILL ON!
Despite the dramatic developments, Dipke confirmed that the planned march to Parliament on July 20 will proceed as scheduled [citation:1][citation:2][citation:5].
*"If they think that taking Wangchuk away will end this movement, they are mistaken. We will remain here and will march to Parliament on 20 July."* [citation:1]
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🌍 International Media Coverage
The dramatic events have drawn global attention, with major news outlets covering the story [citation:1][citation:5][citation:9]:
- BBC News [citation:1]
- Associated Press (AP) [citation:5]
- The Canadian Press [citation:5]
- Ahram Online [citation:9]
- Australian Associated Press [citation:12]
📊 CJP Movement: Key Facts at a Glance
| Detail | Information | |------------|-----------------| | Movement Started | May 2026 | | Trigger | SC CJI calls unemployed youth "cockroaches" | | Instagram Followers | 21+ million [citation:5][citation:9][citation:12] | | Demand | Education Minister Pradhan resignation | | Expanded Demand | PM Modi resignation [citation:1] | | Wangchuk Hunger Strike | June 28, 2026 (21 days) | | Dipke Hunger Strike | July 18, 2026 (begun) | | July 20 March | Parliament march (still planned) [citation:1] |
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🗣️ Political Reactions
Opposition parties have strongly condemned the police action:
- "Shocking coercive state violence" [citation:1]
- "An assault on democracy" [citation:1]
📅 What Happens Next?
Timeline of Events:
| Date | Event | |----------|-----------| | July 17 (Night) | Wangchuk: "20% of my body is gone" [citation:8] | | July 18 (7:30 AM) | Police remove Wangchuk [citation:1] | | July 18 (Morning) | Dipke begins hunger strike [citation:1] | | July 20 | Parliament march planned [citation:1] | | July 20 | Delhi HC PIL hearing on police surveillance [citation:1] |
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💪 The Spirit of the Movement
Wangchuk's words from the night before his hospitalization continue to resonate with protesters [citation:8]:
*"I am weak from the outside but very strong inside. We need this energy for July 20, when we will take out a peaceful march to Parliament."* [citation:8]
*"Smaller movements have brought down many governments in India. And here it is about education."* [citation:11]
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📱 Social Media Explodes
The hashtags #SonamWangchuk, #CockroachJantaParty, #AbhijeetDipke, and #JantarMantar have been trending across social media platforms as the nation watches this unprecedented movement unfold.
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🛡️ Security Tightened
Authorities have deployed heavy police and paramilitary forces across the New Delhi district, with barricades erected at key locations [citation:4]. Police have appealed to protesters to "peacefully vacate the protest site" [citation:4].
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🎯 Conclusion: A Movement at a Crossroads
The CJP movement — which began as an online joke after a Supreme Court judge's "cockroach" comment — has now become one of India's most significant protest movements [citation:1][citation:5][citation:9]. With Sonam Wangchuk hospitalized and Abhijeet Dipke now on hunger strike, the movement faces its most critical moment.
Will the government negotiate? Will the July 20 march proceed peacefully? Or will this escalate further?
One thing is certain: the cockroaches are not backing down.
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