New Delhi: A video of social activist Sonam Wangchuk being prevented from leaving Safdarjung Hospital has come to light. He and his wife, Gitanjali Angmo, got furious when a police officer and a hospital authority tried to stop them.
In a video shared on his YouTube account on Friday night (July 24), the usually calm Wangchuk was seen visibly getting angry, raising his tone.
“Ask them to arrest me. I am a free citizen,” the 59-year-old was heard telling the police officer as he walked through the hospital corridors.
“You are keeping me for three hours on the 25th day of my hunger strike,” he said.
“You all are harassing me. If I die of stress, it will be your responsibility,” he said as he continued walking towards the exit.
He was taken to Safdarjung Hospital on July 18. His wife moved the Delhi High Court to shift him to a private hospital, fearing that his life was at risk. He was then shifted to Medanta.
On Friday, he ended his 28-day hunger strike in the presence of Union Ministers JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh Rana after receiving written assurances.
Wangchuk had been on hunger strike at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar demanding the resignation of Minister Dharmendra Pradhan after allegations of NEET UG paper leak and subsequent suicides of students.
In another YouTube video, he dismissed allegations that he had reached a deal with the government. He emphasised that his primary goal was to ensure that students involved in the protests would not face violence or legal consequences.
“If I had to make a deal, would I have remained hungry for 26 days? Could I not have struck a deal sitting in an air-conditioned room instead of fasting in Delhi’s heat?” he said.
Wangchuk alleged that after he was taken to Safdarjung Hospital on July 18, he was treated “like a prisoner”, claiming he was denied free movement, prevented from meeting visitors and not allowed to keep a mobile phone or laptop.
“It was like being in North Korea,” he said, adding that even after the Delhi High Court permitted him to shift to Medanta Hospital, he was allegedly prevented from leaving Safdarjung Hospital for several hours.
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