New Delhi [India], July 20 : Sonam Wangchuk's wife, Gitanjali Angmo, on Monday criticised the Centre's handling of the ongoing protests over the alleged NEET-UG 2026 paper leak, saying the government had "failed miserably" to address the aspirations of the country's youth and that "force cannot suppress a nationwide youth movement."
Speaking to ANI after a delegation of the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) met Union Health Minister JP Nadda, Angmo said the protesters were awaiting the government's response but asserted that the movement had grown into a nationwide campaign demanding accountability and reforms in the education system.
"They are being asked to wait for the decision. So, we are also here waiting for that. But I want to add that this is a movement that has caught the imagination of the entire nation. We have people here from the whole country... The police and the government are only resorting to lies to control the situation or a misuse of power. They are just doing lathi-charge or using lies," Angmo said.
She alleged that despite restrictions and logistical hurdles, large numbers of people had joined the protest and urged the government to view it as a wake-up call rather than attempting to suppress it.
"The government tried to shut the metros, Ubers and everything today. And yet I walked for one-and-a-half kilometres to see that so many people have turned up. It should be a wake-up call for the government... They cannot continue doing what they have been doing. Everybody elected them to power with a lot of hope that they will make India a developed nation, but they have failed miserably," she said.
Calling for education reforms, Angmo said the youth represented the country's greatest strength and deserved an ecosystem that nurtured their potential instead of silencing their concerns.
"They should wake up and take cognisance that this is a reality. Kids have come from all walks of life. There are all religions represented here, all age groups represented here. We should give them the right ecosystem and the right education so that they can achieve their potential," she added.
Her remarks came after Union Health Minister JP Nadda met a CJP delegation, which demanded the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, the immediate release of activist Sonam Wangchuk from Safdarjung Hospital, and compensation of Rs 1 crore for the families of NEET aspirants who allegedly lost their lives.
Meanwhile, Wangchuk, on the 23rd day of his fast, said he would continue his hunger strike until youth leaders were allowed to meet Members of Parliament or were permitted to meet him at Safdarjung Hospital.
He also appealed to the government and Delhi Police to allow students to present their grievances before Parliament, even as security remained heightened in the national capital following protests near Parliament on the opening day of the Monsoon Session.