Opposition Condemns Sonam Wangchuk’s Removal From Protest Site, Alleges Suppression of Peaceful Dissent

Opposition leaders questioned the police action and alleged that the government had chosen force over dialogue. Aam Aadmi Party National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal said the Central Government should have held discussions with Wangchuk instead of removing him from the protest site. He alleged that the government was displaying arrogance by forcibly removing Wangchuk rather than addressing concerns over the country's education and examination system. Kejriwal further claimed that the government was attempting to suppress the Cockroach movement instead of introducing meaningful reforms.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray also condemned the action, describing it as an attack on democratic rights. He alleged that the world was witnessing democracy in India being weakened through force and claimed that even peaceful student protests against an allegedly incompetent minister were no longer being tolerated.

The Congress also criticised the government's handling of the protest, alleging that the constitutional right to dissent was being undermined. Congress Member of Parliament Pawan Khera, who met Wangchuk on Friday, said the Constitution guarantees every citizen the right to peaceful protest. He alleged that the Union Government was treating dissent as a law-and-order issue rather than protecting democratic rights.

Khera further stated that the Delhi Police reports directly to the Union Home Ministry, which had appointed a new Police Commissioner in Delhi only a day earlier. He alleged that if the removal of Wangchuk represented the new commissioner's first assignment, it reflected political obedience taking precedence over constitutional duty. He also criticised the government's handling of previous protests, alleging that it had earlier dragged away women wrestlers and manhandled former servicemen. According to Khera, the government viewed peaceful protest as a law-and-order problem instead of a fundamental democratic right, describing the situation as a matter of serious concern for the world's largest democracy.

Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav termed Wangchuk's removal from the hunger strike site an "utterly reprehensible" development and demanded that his treatment at Safdarjung Hospital be conducted under judicial oversight. Yadav said the incident had rapidly attracted national and international attention, adding that concern for Wangchuk's condition and anger against the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government had spread widely.

Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) chief Sharad Pawar also criticised the Centre, alleging that the government acted only after realising that the situation had moved beyond its control. Pawar claimed Wangchuk had been arrested on Saturday morning and asserted that the protest would continue regardless of his detention. He further alleged that no representative of the Union Government had met Wangchuk during his hunger strike and confirmed that the Opposition would raise the issue during the upcoming Monsoon Session of Parliament.

Shiv Sena (UBT) Member of Parliament Sanjay Raut alleged that Wangchuk's removal was intended to divert public attention from the party's "Ram Raksha" protest in Nagpur under the leadership of Uddhav Thackeray. Raut described the action as tyranny and alleged that the government had failed to resolve the issues for which Wangchuk had been fasting for 21 days. He further claimed that the activist was forcibly detained and admitted to hospital in an attempt to shift media and public attention away from the large-scale protest in Nagpur against the alleged looting of the Ram Temple.

Trinamool Congress Member of Parliament Sagarika Ghose also criticised the government's action, alleging that it was prompted by concerns over Wangchuk's proposed march to Parliament. She described the incident as dictatorial, unacceptable, unfortunate, and an assault on democracy and the rights of citizens.

Senior Aam Aadmi Party leaders Manish Sisodia, Sanjay Singh, and Saurabh Bharadwaj also criticised the Delhi Police action. They alleged that the government was attempting to silence peaceful dissent instead of addressing concerns surrounding the alleged examination irregularities that had prompted the ongoing agitation.

The removal of Sonam Wangchuk from the protest site has intensified the political confrontation ahead of the Monsoon Session of Parliament. With multiple opposition parties accusing the Centre of suppressing democratic rights and avoiding dialogue, the controversy is expected to become a significant issue during the forthcoming parliamentary proceedings.