Activist Sonam Wangchuk, who has been on a hunger strike since June 28, was taken away from the protest site at Jantar Mantar on Saturday morning, with the Delhi Police saying he had been shifted to hospital for “essential medical care” in compliance with a High Court order.

The activist’s wife Gitanjali Angmo said in a social media post that Wangchuk had been admitted to the Safdarjung Hospital.

Wangchuk’s fast, which is part of a protest led by the Cockroach Janta Party demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the alleged mismanagement of competitive examinations, entered its 21st day on Saturday.

Four members of the All India Students’ Association – Neha Bora, Manish Kumar, Aameen Amitosh and Hamad – continued their hunger strike after Wangchuk was taken away from the protest site. Protesters formed a human chain to prevent the police from forcibly removing them.

Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke, who had been allegedly stopped by the police from returning to the protest site late at night, reached Jantar Mantar on Saturday morning and announced that he would begin an indefinite hunger strike.

He also called for nationwide peaceful protests.

“We need to send a message that the people won’t accept this kind of dictatorship,” he said in a video shared by the political campaign.

Earlier in the day, the Cockroach Janta Party claimed that Wangchuk had been “detained” and said it did not know where the activist had been taken.

Cockroach Janta Party Spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka said in a social media post that roads leading to Jantar Mantar had been blocked and alleged that Dipke and other protesters were beaten up. Dipke had also claimed in a social media post that he had been beaten up and detained by the Delhi Police.

The Delhi Police, however, said Wangchuk was shifted to hospital on expert medical advice because of his deteriorating health condition.

Protesters tried to obstruct the police’s action while it was complying with the High Court’s directions, leading to a “slight commotion”, it added. The police claimed that personnel exercised “maximum restrain and undertook the exercise safely.”

It also appealed to protesters at Jantar Mantar to “peacefully vacate the place at the earliest”.

On Thursday, the Delhi High Court directed the Centre and the Delhi government to monitor Wangchuk’s health daily and undertake any medical intervention required to improve his condition.

Edited by Tanya Shrivastava.

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