Protesters at Delhi's Jantar Mantar have alleged that activist Sonam Wangchuk was removed from his hunger strike site within minutes by police personnel who used white bedsheets to block the crowd's view. The incident took place on Saturday morning, according to those present at the protest site.
According to National Herald, Wangchuk had been on an indefinite hunger strike for 20 days over the alleged NEET paper leak. Protesters said the operation was swift and caught everyone off guard.
How police removed Wangchuk from Jantar Mantar
Protesters described a coordinated operation that unfolded quickly. According to NDTV, the cops arrived at the scene in civilian clothes. Several Delhi Police personnel, including some in plain clothes, entered the protest site between 7 am and 8 am.
Those present alleged that paramilitary personnel formed an outer security cordon while officers surrounded Wangchuk's mattress. They then held up large white bedsheets to block the crowd's view before carrying him to a waiting ambulance.
"It happened so fast that nobody could understand what was going on." — Protester Talha, as quoted by National Herald
Police explanation for the removal
Police have stated that the activist was shifted to a hospital on medical advice. However, protesters have disputed this account, alleging that the operation was designed to prevent anyone from seeing or recording what was happening.
According to National Herald's Facebook post, protesters allege Wangchuk was removed from Jantar Mantar in a 5-minute operation, with police using white bedsheets to block the crowd's view.
Protesters' account of the incident
Those present at the site said the entire operation was over within minutes. The use of white bedsheets to block the view was particularly concerning to protesters, who said they could not see what was happening to Wangchuk during the removal.
"All we saw were white sheets," one protester recounted, according to reports from the scene. The swift nature of the operation left many protesters confused and unable to document the removal.
Our Take: Transparency matters in such operations
In our view, the use of bedsheets to block the view during a police operation raises serious questions about transparency. While police may have had valid medical reasons to move Wangchuk, the manner in which it was done — with plain clothes officers and blocked views — creates distrust. When authorities act in ways that prevent public observation, it naturally leads to suspicion. The protesters' account of the incident deserves a clear response from the police about why such measures were necessary.
