What had remained a largely peaceful protest at Jantar Mantar transformed into one of the Capital’s biggest demonstrations in recent years after activist Sonam Wangchuk was removed from the hunger strike site and admitted to hospital on last Saturday.
Wangchuk, who had been on a hunger strike over alleged examination irregularities, was shifted to a hospital in a pre-dawn Delhi Police operation on July 18 following concerns over his deteriorating health. The move, carried out under the directions of the Delhi High Court to ensure he received immediate medical care, became the turning point that dramatically expanded the agitation.
Supporters alleged that Wangchuk had been taken away against the wishes of protesters, fuelling anger across student groups, civil society organisations and political activists. Images and videos from the operation spread rapidly online, triggering calls for larger demonstrations.
The immediate impact became visible the next day. On July 20, more than 10,000 people joined a march towards Parliament, far exceeding the organisers’ expectations and turning what had begun as a hunger strike into a nationwide movement.
Anticipating trouble, the Delhi Police warned that the Jantar Mantar protest site had already reached capacity and cautioned against attempts to move towards Parliament.
As thousands marched, clashes broke out between protesters and security personnel. The police used tear gas, batons and canes to disperse the crowd while sealing several Metro station exits in central Delhi. According to the police, at least 60 protesters were injured during the violence.
The scale of injuries became clearer the following morning. By 8 am, Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital had treated 186 injured people, including 89 police personnel. Nearly 96 required surgical treatments, including stitches and fracture management. Hospital records documented fractures, pellet injuries, puncture wounds and crush injuries sustained during the clashes. A 21-year-old protester underwent eye surgery after being struck by multiple pellets, while another was placed on a ventilator before recovering days later.
The unrest continued over the following days. Fresh attempts by protesters to march towards Parliament on July 21 and July 22 resulted in further clashes, repeated use of tear gas and baton charges, and temporary suspension of mobile Internet services in parts of central Delhi.
The agitation also generated political pressure. Opposition parties intensified demands for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, while criticism emerged from within sections of the BJP over the handling of the protests.
The mounting pressure culminated on July 25 when Pradhan resigned, describing the unrest as a matter beyond personal prestige and saying he did not want anti-national forces to exploit the situation. His resignation marked the biggest political outcome of the movement, although several of the protesters’ broader demands, including reforms to the examination system and the National Testing Agency, remained unresolved.