'Why end hunger strike this way?' Sanjay Raut alleges government tried to suppress Wangchuk's protest

Shiv Sena UBT MP Sanjay Raut on Friday questioned the manner in which climate activist Sonam Wangchuk ended his 26day hunger strike saying the fast should have concluded at Jantar Mantar in the presence of protesters and the publicGovernment ministers presence raises questionsReacting to Wangchuk calling off his hunger strike Raut said he was pleased that the activist had ended the fast but questioned the presence of Union Health Minister JP Nadda and Union Minister of State Jitendra Singh during the processThe 26day movement inspired the youth and ordinary citizens across the country to come out on the streets The same government against which the protest was held had two of its ministers present when the hunger strike ended This raises several questions Raut saidSeeks clarity on governments assurancesRaut asked what assurances had been given by the Centre to Wangchuk and said the details should be made publicHe noted that one of the key demands of the protest was the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra PradhanIf this demand has not been fulfilled then what was the reason for ending the hunger strike he askedRaut also alleged that the government was trying to protect Dharmendra Pradhan and raised concerns over the death of a student and injuries sustained by several others during police actionFast should have ended among protestersRaut said that if Wangchuk had decided to end his hunger strike it would have been more appropriate to do so at Jantar Mantar in the presence of protestersIf Wangchuk had to end his hunger strike it would have been more appropriate if he had done so by drinking juice offered by injured students or fellow protesters That would have respected the spirit of the movement he saidMentions upcoming Mumbai protestsRaut said several protests were planned in Mumbai including a national anthem movement led by Aaditya Thackeray and various organisations He also said a march would be held on Sunday under the leadership of Uddhav Thackeray and Raj ThackerayHe alleged that the Chief Minister was now talking about dialogue despite the government having ignored repeated demands from the Opposition for discussions earlierAlleges attempt to suppress movementRaut further alleged that the government had tried to suppress and discredit the protest at Jantar Mantar and claimed Wangchuk was treated in an inhumane mannerHe said the movement was not centred on an individual but was aimed at challenging the countrys political systemThe government wanted to take credit for ending the movement whereas the movement belonged to the people he saidReferring to Anna Hazares anticorruption movement Raut said democracy becomes stronger when governments accept peoples demands and resolve issues through dialogueHe added that fasting for 26 days for the countrys youth and education system was a significant sacrifice and that Wangchuk deserved respect for it Raut expressed hope that the movement would continue and that Wangchuk would remain actively involvedTargets BJP over antidefection lawOn the antidefection law Raut alleged that the BJPled government was violating its spirit by encouraging defectionsHe claimed legislators were being bought and questioned the credibility of new laws introduced by the governmentA government that does not respect existing laws cannot expect people to trust new legislation Raut saidWith PTI inputs