Sonam Wangchuk Hunger Strike Live Updates: Delhi High Court to hear plea seeking force feeding

Environmentalist Sonam Wangchuk on the 18th day of his indefinite hunger strike in support of the CJP campaign, seeking the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over NEET paper leak. (ANI)

Observing that the life of any citizen is precious, the Delhi High Court on Thursday ordered regular medical check-up of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, who has been on an indefinite hunger strike at Jantar Mantar. The court passed the order while hearing a public interest litigation seeking urgent medical aid for Wangchuk. “We appreciate the stance taken by the Solicitor General and accordingly direct that the medical condition of Shri Wangchuk shall be clinically, and otherwise, regularly monitored on a daily basis and depending on the opinion of the doctors, whatever medical intervention is required to check his deteriorating health condition shall also be taken care of,” the bench said while disposing of the plea.

Plea before court: The petition filed by advocate Rakesh Kumar Saini had sought necessary aid to Wangchuk to improve his deteriorating health and ‘life-threatening’ health conditions. The plea also sought directions to force-feed him through vital liquid diets, proteins, vitamins and essential for human life. The plea states that holding a peaceful protest at a public place is a fundamental, democratic right of the citizen, and that creating an impediment in holding such an activity would amount to a threat to the democratic values of our country. The plea further points out that such incidents have taken place in the past, and measures were taken to save the life of the protester. It states that in such situations, the government has rather been lauded for taking such wise steps in the discharge of its constitutional and public duty rather than being condemned or criticised.

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Hunger strike: Wangchuk and the Abhijeet Dipke’s CJP is protesting and demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the leak of NEET-UG questions. They have also sought Rs 1 crore compensation for the families of students who allegedly died by suicide after leaked examination papers. They have also announced a peaceful march to Parliament on July 20, which is the first day of the Monsoon Session.

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