New Delhi: Opposition leaders on Saturday lashed out at the BJP-led Centre after climate activist Sonam Wangchuk was shifted to a hospital from the protest site at the national Capital’s Jantar Mantar, calling it an “attempt to crush democracy”, while the NDA alleged that it is the work of some people to “create chaos and instability”.
Wangchuk, who had been on a hunger strike for 20 days demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over NEET paper leaks, was shifted to a hospital early on Saturday after his health deteriorated.
The move was carried out in compliance with directions of the Delhi High Court and on the advice of medical experts.
Speaking to IANS, Congress MP Imran Pratapgarhi said: “This is very sad. It is an attempt to crush democracy. Anyone can protest peacefully in this country. Instead of speaking to a person who was fasting for so many days, the government chose to drag him away.”
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) leader Amit Thackeray referred to the action as “one of the darkest days in the history of Indian politics”.
“I have never seen democracy dying before my eyes like this. Such a great person, an educationist, a scientist, who has worked for farmers, who has worked for students, who has worked for our Indian Army — he has been on a hunger strike for 20 days, forget (Pradhan’s ) resignation, no one from the Central government came to have a dialogue with a him,” he told reporters.
Congress leader Sachin Pilot told reporters that the first thing the government should have done was to hold discussions on the issues raised by Wangchuk, establish a dialogue, and address his demands.
“Instead, they failed to fulfil them. His demands were not unreasonable. The entire country wants reforms in our education and examination system because public confidence in it has eroded…this reflects that the government is in no mood to listen to the demands, but the frustration of the youths will not end,” Pilot said.
Leader of Opposition in the Rajasthan Assembly and Congress MLA, Tika Ram Jully, also accused the government of not making any effort to hold talks.
“No minister, BJP office-bearer, or government official went to speak with Sonam Wangchuk. Over the last two to three days, when it appeared that his life was at risk, people across the country and around the world came out in his support. The government, feeling pressured, acted in an undemocratic and authoritarian manner by removing him from the protest site. Those participating in the sit-in were also assaulted. This is condemnable,” he told IANS.
Trinamool Congress MP Saugata Ray called the move “unfortunate”.
“Sonam Wangchuk was fighting a very courageous battle. If action is taken based on a High Court order, what can we say? However, we also support his demand for the resignation of the Education Minister,” he said.
Echoing similar view, political activist Yogendra Yadav also called the Delhi Police action as “shameful, cowardly, and illegal”.
However, BJP MP Dinesh Sharma hit back at the Opposition, saying “Some people’s work is to spread instability, chaos, and create divisions among people so that national sentiment does not emerge, and they spread rumours on other issues. Many people want this. Whatever the Honorable Court orders, it is the duty of every government to comply with it.”
Maintaining that one has the right to express his or her opinion in a democracy, JD(U) leader Neeraj Kumar said that doing so by going through physical pain is not right, even if the demand is legally correct.
He said: “It is also the government’s responsibility to be sympathetic in such situations” while asserting that hospitalising Wangchuk was necessary for his health.
(IANS)
