Police Action Against Sonam Wangchuk Viewed as Authoritarian by Sanjay Raut

Nagpur, July 18: Sanjay Raut, a Rajya Sabha member from Shiv Sena (UBT), criticized the central government on Saturday, labeling the police action against Sonam Wangchuk as authoritarian.

He alleged that this action was a deliberate attempt to divert public and media attention from the ‘Ram Raksha’ movement led by Shiv Sena (UBT) in Maharashtra.

Raut stated that the government has completely failed to address the core issues that Wangchuk has been fasting for over the past 21 days. He remarked, “This is pure authoritarianism. Wangchuk’s demand was for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, yet the government has taken no action on his requests. Instead, the police forcibly took Wangchuk, who was ready to risk his life for the future of millions of students, and admitted him to the hospital. This clearly indicates the kind of authoritarianism the country is heading towards.”

He accused the government of insensitivity, asserting that if they genuinely cared about Wangchuk, they would have engaged in dialogue when the hunger strike began. The government remained silent for weeks and then suddenly resorted to police action.

Raut connected this action directly to Maharashtra’s political landscape, claiming that the Delhi police acted to distract attention from the ‘Ram Raksha’ movement, which is aimed at addressing alleged corruption and looting related to the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.

He stated, “The action against Sonam Wangchuk was taken to divert media and public attention from the major ‘Elgar’ movement starting in Nagpur. He was forcibly detained and sent to the hospital to change the headlines.”

Raut clarified that his party will not back down from the government’s strategy. He mentioned that Uddhav Thackeray has already departed for the event and will arrive in Nagpur by noon to lead the movement at the Ram Temple in Ramnagar at 4 PM.

Earlier, NCP (SP) MP Supriya Sule criticized the central government, calling it “extremely insensitive.” She visited Jantar Mantar to meet Wangchuk and Abhijit Dipke, offering her support.

Sule urged Wangchuk to end his hunger strike due to health concerns. She described the paper leak and irregularities in the NEET-UG exam as a serious injustice to millions of students across the country, emphasizing that it is not just an exam issue but a crime affecting the future of the nation’s youth.

She stated, “Sonam Wangchuk is invaluable to the country. The government’s attitude is completely insensitive. Someone from the ruling party should have initiated a conversation with him, but that did not happen.”

Sule also noted that her decision to support Wangchuk and Dipke at Jantar Mantar was well-received by hundreds in her Baramati constituency. She mentioned that she urged Wangchuk to consider his health and end the hunger strike, but he remains committed to his demands until they are met.