'All we saw were white sheets': Protesters recount Wangchuk's removal from Jantar Mantar

Protesters at Delhi's Jantar Mantar on Saturday alleged that activist Sonam Wangchuk was removed from his hunger strike site within minutes by police personnel who surrounded him with white bedsheets, preventing those present from seeing or recording the operation.

According to protesters, several Delhi Police personnel, including some in plain clothes, entered the protest site between 7 am and 8 am, where Wangchuk had been on an indefinite hunger strike for 20 days over the alleged NEET paper leak.

They alleged that paramilitary personnel formed an outer security cordon while officers surrounded Wangchuk's mattress and 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," Talha, a 22-year-old protester from Patna, told PTI.

"People started running towards the stage. Everyone was trying to stop the police and make videos, but all we could see were the white sheets. Before we could get there, they had already taken him away," he said.

Several protesters claimed police had been monitoring the protest site for days and chose a time when fewer volunteers were around Wangchuk.

"They knew when to come," alleged protester Tejveer, who announced his own hunger strike after Wangchuk was taken away.

According to protesters, the operation lasted around five to 10 minutes. Some alleged there was pushing and jostling as police cleared a path to the ambulance and that a few volunteers sustained minor injuries during the commotion.

Delhi Police, however, said Wangchuk was shifted to Safdarjung Hospital following medical advice and directions of the Delhi High Court. Police also said some protesters attempted to obstruct the operation but personnel exercised maximum restraint while carrying it out.

Protesters further alleged that police personnel later moved towards the nearby camp where three All India Students' Association (AISA) activists — Neha, Aameen and Manish — have also been on an indefinite hunger strike.

According to those at the site, supporters formed a human chain around the three students to prevent police from reaching them.

"They came towards our tent too," Neha said, adding that by then people had gathered around them.

The protest site remained under heavy security throughout the day, with multiple layers of police deployment and barricades restricting access.

Several protesters also alleged that electricity to the site was cut after the police action, stopping fans that had been providing relief from the July heat. Some also claimed mobile phone networks stopped working for nearly an hour after Wangchuk was removed.

Despite the police action, protesters said they would continue their agitation and press ahead with a planned march to Parliament on Monday.

Doctors monitoring Wangchuk's hunger strike had said on Friday that he had lost nearly 9.5 kg during the 20-day fast.

By Saturday afternoon, protesters had gathered once again under a black tarpaulin, chanting slogans against the BJP-led central government, demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and preparing handwritten letters to President Droupadi Murmu to be submitted during Monday's march to Parliament.