Climate activist and educator Sonam Wangchuk was taken to Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi on Saturday, July 18, 2026, on the 21st day of his hunger strike at Jantar Mantar, after his health deteriorated. His wife, Gitanjali J. Angmo, confirmed his hospitalisation on social media and warned authorities against administering any treatment to him without her consent.

What Angmo Said

In a post on X, Angmo said she was at Safdarjung Hospital where Wangchuk had been admitted, adding that "nothing should be administered to him orally or intravenously without" consent from her, his family, and the doctors who had been monitoring his health over the previous 20 days. Delhi Police confirmed that Wangchuk was moved to hospital after his condition worsened during the fast.

The Protest at Jantar Mantar

Wangchuk had been on an indefinite hunger strike as part of a protest organised by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged irregularities in examinations, including the NEET paper leak. Photographs from the 20th day of the fast showed Wangchuk and Angmo together at the protest site.

Tension at the Protest Site a Day Earlier

According to CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke, tension had gripped Jantar Mantar on Friday after an object was allegedly thrown at Wangchuk during the demonstration. Dipke said unidentified individuals had tried to attack the activist but that he was not injured. Dipke further alleged that Delhi Police then "forcefully" removed Wangchuk from the site, and separately claimed that police used force against protesters and that he himself was detained. CJP spokesperson Saurav Das made similar allegations regarding the treatment of students at the site. These claims have not been independently verified, and Delhi Police has not issued a detailed public response to the specific allegations of force at the time of writing.

Dipke had earlier said he had been warned of a possible attempt to disrupt the protest and alleged that police had been slow to respond to disturbances reported the previous day.

Who Is Sonam Wangchuk

Wangchuk, a Ladakh-based engineer-educator, is widely known as the inspiration behind the character Phunsukh Wangdu in the 2009 film "3 Idiots." He has a long history of hunger strikes and public protests on causes ranging from Ladakh's statehood demand and its inclusion in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution to, most recently, education and examination reforms. His fasts have repeatedly drawn national attention to the causes he champions, alongside periods of friction with authorities over permissions for protest sites and, at times, detention.

What Happens Next

As of Saturday, Wangchuk remained under medical observation at Safdarjung Hospital. His family has made clear that any medical intervention will require their explicit consent alongside that of his treating doctors. Further updates on his condition and the future of the protest at Jantar Mantar are awaited.