BJP says Wangchuk’s hunger strike was politically motivated

Delhi BJP president Harsh Malhotra on Sunday alleged that activist Sonam Wangchuk’s hunger strike at Jantar Mantar was politically driven. He claimed that it was organised to cause disruption ahead of Parliament’s Monsoon Session rather than to address concerns over the alleged NEET paper leak.

Malhotra said the appearance of senior lawyers, including Members of Parliament Kapil Sibal and Vivek Tankha, before the Delhi High Court on

Sunday, seeking interim relief for Wangchuk, showed that the activist was acting as a “political pawn” of opposition parties rather than as an independent campaigner.

According to Malhotra, the Delhi Police action to remove Wangchuk from Jantar Mantar was carried out in line with directions issued by the Delhi High Court. He said this was also the reason the High Court had declined to grant interim relief on a petition filed on Wangchuk’s behalf.

Referring to the protest, Malhotra said Wangchuk began his hunger strike on June 28 as part of a demonstration backed by the Aam Aadmi Party, Communist parties and the Congress. He noted that a re-examination of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test, which he described as satisfactory, had already been conducted on June 21, before the strike began.

Malhotra argued that this timeline indicated the hunger strike was not intended to raise student grievances but to create disruption “from the streets to Parliament” during the Monsoon Session.

The statement was issued by the Delhi BJP’s media department. Wangchuk, the Aam Aadmi Party, the Congress, and the Communist parties named in the statement have not yet responded to the allegations.