Nadda, Jitendra Singh meet Sonam Wangchuk as hunger strike enters 24th day

Union Ministers J P Nadda and Jitendra Singh met innovator and climate activist Sonam Wangchuk at Medanta Hospital in Gurugram, shortly after he was shifted there from Delhi’s Safdarjung Hospital for further treatment.

Wangchuk was discharged from Safdarjung Hospital earlier in the evening and taken to Medanta in an ambulance under tight security, in compliance with a Delhi High Court order. He was admitted to the hospital’s Intensive Care Unit (ICU) under the supervision of Dr. Sushila Kataria, an internal medicine specialist, according to hospital officials.

The meeting held on Tuesday night, between the two Union ministers and Wangchuk, came as the activist continued his indefinite hunger strike, which entered its 24th day on Tuesday.

The meeting came a day after the activist said he would continue his indefinite hunger strike until protesting student leaders were allowed to meet MPs at Parliament House, or parliamentarians visit him at the hospital.

On Monday, Wangchuk, in a handwritten note from Safdarjung Hospital, said he would continue his fast until protesting student leaders were allowed to meet Members of Parliament at Parliament House or he himself was permitted to meet parliamentarians at the hospital.

Earlier on Tuesday, Wangchuk’s wife, Gitanjali J. Angmo, said he had decided to continue the hunger strike until Parliament takes cognisance of the Delhi Police’s alleged action against protesters during the ‘Sansad Chalo’ march.

She alleged that students were beaten, lathi-charged and tear-gassed, and said Wangchuk had extended his fast in solidarity with them until their demands were heard in Parliament.

Reacting to allegations of several agitators attacking police personnel, Angmo said: "I was in the truck, when the police entered and forcefully tried to take Abhijit too. Around me, everyone made a human chain and protected me. If this was happening to me when I was behind that truck, then whatever happened with students - we have all seen it. If I had been alone and something was done to me; I would have defended myself too."

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