JP Nadda, Jitendra Singh meet Sonam Wangchuk at Medanta on day 24 of fast
Synopsis
Two senior Union ministers walked into Wangchuk's ICU room on day 24 of his hunger strike — a visit that signals the Centre can no longer treat the Ladakh activist's fast as a fringe protest. With a Delhi High Court order already forcing a hospital transfer and his wife alleging police brutality against student marchers, the political pressure on the government is mounting on multiple fronts.
Key Takeaways
Union Ministers J.P.
Nadda and Jitendra Singh met Sonam Wangchuk at Medanta Hospital, Gurugram on the night of 22 July .
Wangchuk's hunger strike entered its 24th day on Tuesday; he was admitted to the ICU under Dr.
His transfer from Safdarjung Hospital to Medanta was ordered by the Delhi High Court .
Wangchuk has said he will end his fast only when student leaders are allowed to meet MPs at Parliament House , or parliamentarians visit him.
Angmo alleged students were beaten, lathi-charged, and tear-gassed during the 'Sansad Chalo' march.
Union Ministers J.P. Nadda and Jitendra Singh met innovator and climate activist Sonam Wangchuk at Medanta Hospital in Gurugram on the night of Tuesday, 22 July, as his indefinite hunger strike entered its 24th day. The meeting came hours after Wangchuk was transferred from Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi to Medanta following a Delhi High Court order directing the shift for advanced medical care.
Transfer and Medical Condition
Wangchuk was discharged from Safdarjung Hospital earlier on Tuesday evening and transported to Medanta by ambulance under tight security. He was admitted to the hospital's Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and placed under the supervision of Dr. Sushila Kataria, an internal medicine specialist, according to hospital officials. The High Court's intervention underscored growing concern over his deteriorating health after more than three weeks without food.
What Wangchuk Has Demanded
A day before the ministerial visit, Wangchuk had issued a handwritten note from Safdarjung Hospital stating he would continue his fast until one of two conditions was met: protesting student leaders are permitted to meet Members of Parliament at Parliament House, or parliamentarians visit him at the hospital. He has not softened that position despite his hospitalisation.
His Wife's Account of the 'Sansad Chalo' March
Wangchuk's wife, Gitanjali J. Angmo, said on Tuesday that he had extended his fast in solidarity with students who participated in the 'Sansad Chalo' march, alleging that protesters were beaten, lathi-charged, and tear-gassed by Delhi Police. Responding to counter-allegations that some agitators attacked police personnel, Angmo offered a first-person account: 'I was in the truck, when the police entered and forcefully tried to take Abhijit too. Around me, everyone made a human chain and protected me. If this was happening to me when I was behind that truck, then whatever happened with students — we have all seen it. If I had been alone and something was done to me; I would have defended myself too.'
Political Significance of the Ministerial Meeting
The decision by two senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) cabinet ministers to visit Wangchuk at the hospital signals that the Centre is treating the standoff as politically sensitive. Wangchuk, widely known for his work in Ladakh and his portrayal as the inspiration behind the film 3 Idiots, commands significant public sympathy. His fast has drawn sustained attention to demands around Ladakh's constitutional status and the rights of its residents. This is the latest in a series of engagements between Ladakhi activists and the Centre, none of which has yet produced a formal resolution.
What Happens Next
The outcome of the ministerial talks has not been officially disclosed. Medical staff at Medanta continue to monitor Wangchuk's condition in the ICU. Whether Parliament takes cognisance of the protesters' demands — the central condition Wangchuk has set for ending his fast — remains to be seen.
Point of View
Not dialogue — two cabinet ministers do not show up at an ICU at night unless the political cost of inaction has become too high. Wangchuk's conditions are parliamentary in nature: he wants MPs to hear Ladakhi student voices inside Parliament House. That is a demand the executive cannot unilaterally fulfil, which means the impasse is structural. The Centre's repeated engagements with Ladakhi activists since the region's bifurcation in 2019 have produced goodwill gestures but no constitutional resolution. Until that changes, hospital visits by ministers will read as optics, not outcomes.
NationPress
22 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Union Ministers JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh visit Sonam Wangchuk?
The two ministers visited Wangchuk at Medanta Hospital in Gurugram on 22 July as his indefinite hunger strike entered its 24th day. The visit is seen as a government attempt to engage with the activist amid growing public and legal pressure over his deteriorating health.
Why was Sonam Wangchuk transferred from Safdarjung Hospital to Medanta?
Wangchuk was transferred to Medanta Hospital in Gurugram under a Delhi High Court order directing his shift for further and more advanced treatment. He was admitted to the ICU under the care of Dr. Sushila Kataria, an internal medicine specialist.
What are Sonam Wangchuk's conditions for ending his hunger strike?
Wangchuk has stated he will end his fast only if protesting student leaders are permitted to meet Members of Parliament at Parliament House, or if parliamentarians visit him at the hospital. He reiterated this in a handwritten note from Safdarjung Hospital on Monday.
What happened during the 'Sansad Chalo' march?
The 'Sansad Chalo' march was a protest by student leaders seeking to approach Parliament. Wangchuk's wife Gitanjali J. Angmo alleged that Delhi Police beat, lathi-charged, and tear-gassed protesters during the march. Delhi Police has faced counter-allegations that some agitators attacked police personnel.
Who is Sonam Wangchuk and why does his fast matter?
Sonam Wangchuk is a Ladakh-based innovator and climate activist widely known for his educational work and widely regarded as an inspiration behind the Bollywood film 3 Idiots. His hunger strike has drawn national attention to demands around Ladakh's constitutional status and the rights of its people following the region's bifurcation from Jammu and Kashmir in 2019.
