The Delhi Police on Saturday morning cracked down on the protesters at Jantar Mantar and "forcefully took away" activist Sonam Wangchuk from the protest site.
Wangchuk has been on a hunger strike for the past 20 days demanding the resignation of the education minister over the alleged NEET paper leak.
Wangchuk's wife, Gitanjali J Angmo, said he was shifted to the Safdarjung Hospital, and asserted that no medical treatment should be administered to the activist without her consent.
"He is at Safdarjung Hospital. I forbid them from administering anything without my consent. No treatment should start without my consent. I hold everybody accountable if anything happens," Angmo told PTI.
Questioning the decision to hospitalise him, she claimed Wangchuk appeared fine on Friday.
"Yesterday, he was doing fine. There was no need to bring him to the hospital. It's my right under Article 32. Without my consent and my doctor's consent, nothing can be administered," she said.
In a statement, Delhi Police said Wangchuk was shifted for "essential medical care" following expert medical advice and in compliance with the high court's orders.
According to a report, police landed at Jantar Mantar early on Saturday morning and shifted Wangchuk to a government hospital despite resistance from the part of Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) activists who have been spearheading protests against Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) Sachin Sharma told PTI that Wangchuk was hospitalised in accordance with the Delhi High Court's directions after his health worsened and is receiving the required medical intervention under medical supervision.
Some protesters tried to obstruct the exercise, leading to a brief commotion, but police personnel exercised maximum restraint and completed the operation successfully, it added.
The police also appealed to the protesters to end their agitation, saying they should peacefully vacate the protest site at the earliest.
The Delhi Police reportedly arrived at the site in plain clothes. An ambulance was also present. They covered the stage with bedsheets and allegedly forcefully removed Sonam Wangchuk to a hospital.
Soon after the police action, Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) founder Abhijit Dipke alleged that the protesters were subjected to a police crackdown.
"I have been beaten up and put under detention by Delhi Police," Dipke said in a post on X.
In another post, he alleged that the police were beating protesters and forcibly taking Wangchuk away.
Wangchuk has been on an indefinite hunger strike since June 28 in support of the CJP-led protest over alleged irregularities in the NEET examination and the reported deaths of students linked to the controversy.
His health had shown a steady decline over the past three weeks.
Doctors said he had lost nearly 9.5 kg since the beginning of the hunger strike, while his blood pressure and blood sugar levels had remained under close monitoring.
The Delhi High Court has been monitoring the medical condition of Wangchuk and has directed that his health be regularly assessed and that appropriate medical intervention be provided if required.
On Friday night, Wangchuk had said he was still determined to continue the fast despite his worsening condition, claiming he had "lost 20 per cent of my body" during the 20-day hunger strike.
"Governments have fallen over the price of onions. "I have lost 20 per cent of my body. It is time for this government to listen to the voice of the youth," he had said in a video message, while reiterating his support for the students' movement.
'Sonam Wangchuk is weak, but stable'
Sonam Wangchuk is weak due to prolonged fasting and dehydration but is currently stable, Safdarjung Hospital said on Saturday.
"Mr Sonam Wangchuck is weak due to prolonged fasting and dehydration. Although he is currently stable, he requires continuous observation, monitoring and treatment to restore his body parameters," the hospital said in a statement.
According to the statement, Wangchuk was admitted to the hospital at 7.40 am on Saturday.
His health had shown a steady decline over the past three weeks. On Friday, doctors said Wangchuk had lost nearly 9.5 kg since the beginning of the hunger strike, while his blood pressure and blood sugar levels had remained under close monitoring.
Security stepped up
Security was stepped up in and around Jantar Mantar, across parts of the New Delhi district and at Safdarjung Hospital, where activist Sonam Wangchuk was shifted on Saturday after his health deteriorated during his 20-day hunger strike, officials said.
There was a brief commotion during the early morning action at the Jantar Mantar protest site, with police claiming that some protesters attempted to obstruct the exercise.
Heavy deployment of police personnel and paramilitary forces was made at the protest site in the heart of Delhi and nearby areas to maintain law and order and prevent any untoward incident, they said.
Barricades were erected and security personnel positioned at key points to regulate the movement of protesters and visitors.
(With inputs from PTI)