Sonam Wangchuk urges protesters to remain peaceful, says 'our response must only be flowers'

New Delhi: Activist Sonam Wangchuk on Thursday urged supporters of the ongoing students' movement to remain peaceful, saying he was pained by reports that "anti-social elements" were trying to provoke violence elsewhere while the protest at Jantar Mantar remained "peaceful".

Marking the 26th day of his indefinite hunger strike, Wangchuk said in a post on X, "Peace and only peace is my way."

"While at Jantar Mantar the protests remain peaceful, I'm pained to learn that elsewhere some antisocial elements are taking advantage of the peaceful protests to provoke violence," he said.


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"No matter what the other side does our response must only be flowers. Please keep this tradition at all costs," Wangchuk added.

His appeal came days after the July 20 'Sansad Chalo' march, during which the Delhi Police stopped thousands of protesters from marching towards Parliament by using tear gas and baton charges. Protesters have also alleged the use of pellet guns and tasers.

In the aftermath of the crackdown, the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) alleged that attempts were being made to portray the student movement as violent and to link it with incidents elsewhere in the national capital. The allegations were rejected by the police.

Also Read: CJP protest shines spotlight on Jantar Mantar's history of dissent

Earlier in the day, Wangchuk's wife Gitanjali Angmo also defended the protesters, saying it was "deeply painful" to see students being portrayed negatively.

In another post on X later in the day, Angmo praised the conduct of the young protesters.

"Watching India's Gen Z over the past few days has filled me with hope," she said, adding that they had "looked after strangers like family, shared food and water, cleaned and swept their own protest sites, cared for the elderly, sung Jana Gana Mana and songs of hope together, stayed disciplined under immense provocation" and kept the movement alive through "countless acts of selfless service".

"If this is the generation we have raised, India's future is in safe hands. Indian Gen Z... you are not just the future of this country. You are role models to the world," she said, while thanking parents for raising "compassionate, responsible and courageous citizens".

The CJP-led agitation began on June 20, demanding accountability over alleged irregularities in competitive examinations, reforms in the education system and the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

Wangchuk, who joined the agitation on June 28 and has been on an indefinite hunger strike since then, is currently admitted to Medanta Hospital in Gurugram. He has offered to end his fast if the Centre assures that no punitive action will be taken against peaceful protesters who participated in the movement.