Prateek Tanmay
4 min readNew DelhiJul 19, 2026 04:41 AM IST
Also by Srirupa Goswami
For the first time in nearly three weeks, the stage at Jantar Mantar was without Sonam Wangchuk. Hours after the Delhi Police took away the Ladakhi activist to Safdarjung Hospital on Saturday morning, the protest he had anchored with a 20-day hunger strike was left without its central figure.
By 9 am, Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke had stepped into that vacuum. Rushing to the protest site after alleging he was briefly detained while Wangchuk was being taken away, Dipke announced that he would begin an indefinite hunger strike and sharpened his attack on the Centre. “I was dragged on the street. I was beaten up by the police,” he alleged. “Once they lifted up Sonam sir from here, that is when police said that now you can go. We are going to continue the protest.”
Sharpening his attack, he said: “They took him like you take away criminals. They thought the andolan (movement) would lose steam without Sonam sir. Now, instead of him, I will sit on an indefinite hunger strike.”
“It was not just shameless how they took Sonam ji away. The Delhi Police cited a Delhi High Court order about his health. But the court said (to admit him) if his condition was dire. Sonam sir was clear that he was stable. The medical reports show that his vitals are fine,” he said.
About an hour later, when social activist Yogendra Yadav reached the protest site and climbed the stage to show solidarity, Dipke was moved to tears. Holding up a copy of the Constitution, he said, “If you’re concerned about Sonam sir, you would have taken him away with dignity. If you don’t join the Jantar Mantar (protest) even now, then nothing (good) can happen to this country,” he lamented as tears rolled down his eyes.
Behind him, stood CJP members, holding up Wangchuk’s photo.
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Speaking to The Indian Express, Dipke attacked the Prime Minister: “… Instead of sacking Dharmendra Pradhan, they forcibly dragged Sonam Wangchuk. They attacked students… Now it is very clear that Narendra Modi does not want to sack Pradhan. So he is also responsible for the death of more than 20 (NEET) students… he is a dictatorial person,” he claimed.
Asked about Monday’s protest march to Parliament for which they are yet to get police permission, he said, “The Delhi Police didn’t have permission to take Sonam Wangchuk away… Sonam sir didn’t give his consent… the 20th July march is on.”
Tensions spiked briefly in the afternoon when a woman hurled what appeared to be ink at Dipke while he was addressing a gathering. Police sources later said she was removed from stage. The speeches continued into the evening.
Addressing the crowd around 4.30 pm, Dipke said: “Modi’s goons dragged him away this morning… (Delhi Police) plan to crack down tonight… If you move away from here today, understand that the protest will end. We will fight this struggle together.”
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Where Wangchuk lay until Saturday morning, his photograph occupies the spot on stage. Protesters said that when the white sheets shielding the police operation were pulled away, the only thing left on his mattress was his book.
