NEW DELHI: A frail yet visibly agitated activist Sonam Wangchuk on Friday hit back at his critics, accusing them of running a “smear campaign” against him and attempting to malign his “sacred agitation” in support of students protesting over the NEET paper leak at Jantar Mantar.Wangchuk ended his 26-day hunger strike at Gurgaon’s Medanta Hospital after receiving assurances from central ministers that the government would consider the demands raised by him and the protesters.In a 22-minute video message, Wangchuk expressed his frustration over the criticism and political attacks directed at him after he ended his fast, saying his primary objective was never to secure the resignation of Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan through his agitation.“My main aim was not that Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation should come through my agitation,” he said.Speaking in Hindi, Wangchuk claimed that he faced serious health challenges and political harassment after he was first shifted to Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi and later to Medanta Hospital in Gurgaon, where he alleged that he was kept under detention-like circumstances, akin to “North Korea”.“There’s a constant smear campaign against me even when people know that I spent the time at the hospital under distressing conditions,” he said.Wangchuk also hit out at those questioning his intentions and demanding a “character certificate” from him, asking them to introspect and exercise restraint in their criticism.“People who are asking for my character certificate and asking whether I made a deal with someone should introspect and speak with restraint,” he said.
