Activist Sonam Wangchuk on Monday requested permission to temporarily leave Safdarjung Hospital in New Delhi so that he could participate in the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)’s ‘Sansad Chalo’ march to Parliament.
In a handwritten letter addressed to the Director of Safdarjung Hospital, Wangchuk said he was feeling “very fine” and that his health parameters were normal. He urged the hospital authorities to allow him to join the protest.
“This is to state that I am feeling very fine today and my health parameters are also showing as quite normal. Hence, I request you to kindly allow me to leave the hospital, even if temporarily, so that I can join the March to the Parliament, Sansad Chalo this morning.”
He concluded the letter by writing: “I shall be most grateful.”
Sharing the note on social media, Wangchuk questioned why restrictions had been placed on his movement if authorities maintained that he was not under detention.
“Sonam Wangchuk is trying hard to see you all! Just submitted a letter to the hospital as his health is good and they claim he is not in detention. So why the restrictions?” a message posted on his X handle said.
Hospital Says Health Parameters Are Stable
The letter came after Safdarjung Hospital issued a medical bulletin stating that Wangchuk’s vital parameters remained stable, although his blood parameters continued to require close clinical observation.
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The hospital said: “Sonam Wangchuk continues to receive comprehensive medical care at VMMC & Safdarjung Hospital. His vital parameters remain stable. Blood parameters continue to warrant close clinical observation. Wangchuk remains under continuous medical management and the close supervision of a multidisciplinary team of experts.”
Wife Moves Delhi High Court
The development also comes amid a dispute over Wangchuk’s continued stay at the government hospital.
His wife, Gitanjali J. Angmo, alleged that even family members had not been allowed to meet him, claiming that he was being kept under restrictions similar to police custody.
Earlier in the day, Angmo approached the Delhi High Court, challenging an order declining to intervene in Wangchuk’s treatment at Safdarjung Hospital. In her appeal, she argued that the order effectively confined the activist to the hospital without any formal arrest and deprived both him and his family of decisive authority over his medical treatment.
The Delhi High Court agreed to hear the matter later in the day.
Security Tightened Ahead of Parliament March
Meanwhile, large numbers of protesters gathered at Jantar Mantar and surrounding areas to participate in the CJP’s protest demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and greater accountability over the examination controversy.
Tension briefly escalated after protesters breached police barricades, prompting security personnel to carry out a lathi charge to disperse the crowd.
Authorities deployed more than 5,000 security personnel, along with anti-riot units, water cannons and other crowd-control measures across the national capital. Five Metro stations were also closed ahead of the march, which coincided with the opening day of Parliament’s Monsoon Session.
