Sonam Wangchuk says Rahul Gandhi ignored his offer to end his fast

Sonam Wangchuk expressed his disappointment that Rahul Gandhi did not respond positively to his wife Gitanjali's offer of juice to end his 26-day hunger strike at Jantar Mantar. Wangchuk's wife had been working tirelessly to persuade Rahul to intervene, but her efforts were unsuccessful. Furthermore, Wangchuk alleged that Union ministers J P Nadda and Jitendra Singh had broken their promise not to release photos of them offering him soup until he ended his fast alongside opposition and student leaders. This breach of trust led to a loss of confidence in the political leaders Wangchuk encountered.

Wangchuk's wife's criticism of Rahul Gandhi was partly a result of his own disappointment. Moreover, he noted that the political figures who visited the Jantar Mantar protest arrived late and in small numbers, exacerbating the sense of letdown among those involved in the movement. Gitanjali faced backlash on social media after her critical remarks about BJP and Hindutva forces, despite her previous strong criticisms of these entities.

While the Congress party remained silent on her comments, Wangchuk claimed that her criticism triggered a wave of trolling from the Congress "ecosystem".

Despite the challenges, Wangchuk maintained support for the Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP) group, with whom he participated in the agitation against examination irregularities at Jantar Mantar. He praised the CJP's members for being well-meaning, fair, and just, and for remaining apolitical in their cause, rather than aligning themselves with any political party. Wangchuk believed that this approach allowed the CJP to amplify the voices of the marginalized and voiceless.