Activist Sonam Wangchuk has agreed to end his three-week hunger strike on Monday if two conditions are met, his wife Gitanjali Angmo said on Sunday, hours after the Delhi High Court refused permission to shift him from Safdarjung Hospital to a private facility.
Wangchuk, who has been demanding Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation over the recent NEET question paper leaks, will end his fast if political leaders meet him and assure him that the issue of accountability in education will be raised in Parliament during the Monsoon Session beginning Monday.
On Saturday, Delhi Police removed Wangchuk from Jantar Mantar and admitted him to the government-run Safdarjung Hospital.
The Delhi High Court, led by Justice Mini Pushkarna, ruled that the government was within its rights to shift him to the hospital as he had not admitted himself despite his deteriorating health. The court said no interim relief was required and observed that the decision to hospitalise him was not arbitrary or a violation of his personal liberty.
The court noted that doctors were closely monitoring Wangchuk and had administered oral medication with his consent. It also said the government acted in compliance with an earlier division bench order directing authorities to monitor his health and intervene if necessary.
Angmo had sought permission to move Wangchuk to Medanta Hospital in Gurugram, arguing that he had been admitted to Safdarjung Hospital without his or his family's consent and was being confined against his wishes. Senior advocate Vivek Tankha told the court that she would challenge the order before a division bench.
According to Safdarjung Hospital, Wangchuk's vital signs are stable, and his blood parameters have shown minor improvement, though they require constant monitoring. The hospital said prolonged fasting has caused physiological stress, making continuous medical care and round-the-clock monitoring necessary.