'Protest outside the PM's residence lacked sincerity': Sonam Wangchuk's wife says leaders should have joined students at Jantar Mantar

Gitanjali Angmo, the wife of activist Sonam Wangchuk, has criticised the Congress's protest near Prime Minister Narendra Modi's residence, calling it "insincere" and saying party leaders should have joined students protesting at Delhi's Jantar Mantar instead.

In an interview with India Today, Angmo suggested that some politicians were now "exploiting" Wangchuk and his "reputation", but said the public could no longer be misled. Her remarks came after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and several senior party leaders staged a protest near the Prime Minister's residence on July 21 and were later detained by police.

Wangchuk, who was removed from the Jantar Mantar protest site last week, has continued his hunger strike from a hospital. His fast entered Day 26 on Thursday.

Protest lacked sincerity

"The protest outside the Prime Minister's residence lacked sincerity. The public cannot be fooled anymore. This is an awakened India. Those who are insincere will be thrown out by the youth," Angmo, a social entrepreneur and educationist, said.

Her comments came two days after Rahul Gandhi and senior Congress leaders held a sit-in near PM Modi's 7, Lok Kalyan Marg residence to protest against the crackdown on student demonstrators during their march to Parliament.

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Dramatic scenes unfolded during the protest as Rahul Gandhi was lifted and dragged away by police before being detained. He also suffered a nosebleed during the scuffle.

By taking the protest to the Prime Minister's residence, the Congress sought to highlight accountability over the handling of the student protests.

Movement is apolitical

Angmo said the student movement, led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), had sent a strong message to political leaders that symbolic gestures were no longer enough.

"The movement has shown every political leader that they have to walk the talk. They cannot gaslight anymore or be insincere anymore," she said.

A Chevening scholar from Oxford University, Angmo stressed that the movement was not aligned with any political party.

"For us, there is no opposition, there is no government. For us, Parliament is the highest institution. We want Parliament to look at education as the fundamental issue," she said.

At the same time, she said people were welcome to join the movement if they came without political motives.

"Whoever comes with their own agendas will fall by the wayside because this movement is born out of sincerity and purity," she said.

wangchuk's hunger strike and demands

Angmo has remained by Wangchuk's side since he was removed from the Jantar Mantar protest site on July 18. He was initially admitted to the government-run Safdarjung Hospital before being shifted to a hospital of his choice after the Delhi High Court allowed a plea filed by Angmo.

On Wednesday, Wangchuk released a letter outlining the conditions under which he would end his hunger strike. He sought an assurance from the government that no student who took part in the July 20 march would face punitive action.

However, his key demand seeking the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan was not included in the letter, a move seen by some as a softening of his stand.

Wangchuk, however, said Union ministers JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh, who visited him in hospital earlier this week, assured him that the demand for Pradhan's resignation would be considered.