Anna Hazare's appeal to Centre, urges them to say yes or no to his demands

 

Activist Anna Hazare on Saturday said the Union government should hold talks with educationist Sonam Wangchuk. "The government should not test his limits. Say yes or no (to his demands), but what is wrong in holding discussions," Hazare said in a video message.

Wangchuk has been demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET paper leak scandal. He was shifted to a government hospital by Delhi Police on Saturday after his health deteriorated on the 21st day of his indefinite hunger strike at Jantar Mantar.

Notably, Hazare's hunger strike in Delhi for the Lokpal Act had rocked the UPA government in 2011.

Sonam Wangchuk's hunger strike

Environment activist and educationalist Sonam Wangchuk has been on a hunger strike for 20 days demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged nationwide examination irregularities, including the NEET paper leak controversy.

Earlier today, the Delhi Police said Wangchuk was shifted to the Safdarjung Hospital from the Jantar Mantar protest site in compliance with the Delhi High Court's directions and on medical advice due to his deteriorating health. Police officials said maximum restraint was exercised during the operation.

However, Safdarjung Hospital staff Dr Nitin Dighe raised "suspicion" on the medical reports released by the Safdarjung Hospital indicating a potassium deficiency, arguing that he had taken Wangchuk's blood sample at 3 pm on Friday, which showcased a normal potassium value.

Also Read | Sonam Wangchuk Hunger Strike: Rahul Gandhi slams activist's removal from Jantar Mantar, calls it 'wrong'

The hospital is not providing the medical reports of Wangchuk, Dr Dighe told ANI, adding he will be collecting his blood sample for a report, which will be presented to the media. "My team and I have been doing his checkups for the past 20 days. His advocates and we have not been allowed to meet him so far. His wife is here, and they are allowing her. I asked them why they have kept him here, and we were told that he is showing potassium deficiency. I had taken his blood sample at 3 pm yesterday, and potassium was normal at that time. It was 4.8, higher than the normal value of 3.5. Now, they are saying the value has dropped. When his wife is asking for a report, they are not giving one to her. This is suspicious, so I am collecting his blood and taking it for a report. I will present the report to you," he said.

Related video: Wangchuk writes letter from hospital, calls Parliament march India's 'second freedom movement' (Times Now)

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Wangchuk writes letter from hospital, calls Parliament march India's 'second freedom movement'

Sonam Wangchu through his wife Geetanjali has released a hand

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The CJP protesters at Jantar Mantar alleged that the police personnel arrived at the site and claimed to be a medical team. They ordered the volunteers to move aside, a protester was quoted as saying by ANI. Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) chief spokesperson Saurav Das alleged that the Delhi Police had misinterpreted the Delhi High Court's directions while shifting Sonam Wangchuk to hospital and termed his detention a contempt of court.

"The Delhi High Court directed that the health of Sonam Wangchuk should be monitored and any intervention should only take place if his health deteriorates. His health is monitored by our medical team 2-3 times a day, and he himself posts videos on a daily basis giving updates about his health, which has been stable. The Delhi police has misinterpreted that court order and in the guise of that order, detained him. The detention is a contempt of court's order," Das said.

Veteran social activist Anna Hazare issued a direct appeal to the Union government, urging them to immediately open a line of communication regarding the ongoing protests led by educationist Sonam Wangchuk.

In a video message shared from Maharashtra, Hazare stated, “The government should not test his limits. Say yes or no (to his demands), but what is wrong in holding discussions?”

The Context Behind the Appeal

• Sonam Wangchuk’s Hunger Strike: Climate activist and educationist Sonam Wangchuk has been on an indefinite hunger strike at Delhi's Jantar Mantar. He is demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan following the widespread row over the NEET paper leak scandal.

• Police Intervention: On the 21st day of his fast, Delhi Police forcefully removed Wangchuk from the protest site and shifted him to a government hospital. While authorities stated the move was to monitor his health under High Court directions, the action drew sharp criticism from opposition leaders and civil rights groups.

  
  
  

• Hazare's Stance: Recalling his own historic 2011 anti-corruption fasts that shook the political landscape, Hazare emphasized that democratic governments should actively dialogue with peaceful protestors rather than ignoring them or escalating tensions.

Hazare's intervention places renewed public pressure on the Centre to officially address the ongoing student grievances and paper leak allegations.

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Stocks to buy under ₹200: Mehul Kothari of Anand Rathi recommends three shares to buy or sell

 

Stocks to buy under ₹200: Indian equity benchmarks ended sharply higher on Friday, July 17, with the rally driven by strong gains in Reliance Industries and heavyweight private banks ahead of their June quarter earnings announcements.

Reliance Industries, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank and Axis Bank were among the biggest contributors to the gains, helping lift the Sensex and Nifty 50 even as the broader market remained under pressure due to escalating tensions in West Asia and rising crude oil prices.

The Sensex surged 965 points, or 1.25%, to close at 78,151.45, while the Nifty 50 climbed 262 points, or 1.09%, to settle at 24,334.30.

For the week ended July 17, Indian equities remained volatile as investors weighed geopolitical developments in West Asia, fluctuating crude oil prices, foreign institutional investor (FII) outflows and mixed global cues, including the latest US inflation data. After witnessing profit booking in the first half of the week, the market staged a strong recovery, supported by softer-than-expected US inflation, renewed expectations of a US Federal Reserve rate cut and continued buying by domestic institutional investors (DIIs).

Stock Market Outlook

Levels to Watch: 24,400 – 24,600/24,000 – 23,600

Mehul Kothari, Deputy Vice President — Technical Research at Anand Rathi, noted that from a technical perspective, the broader market structure continues to remain constructive.

During the week, the Nifty attempted to move lower; however, the 24,000 level once again acted as a strong support, while the 24,300 zone continued to attract selling pressure, keeping the index range-bound for most of the week, noted Kothari. He further stated that although the index witnessed a breakout attempt in Friday's session, he is not yet fully convinced about the sustainability of this move, as the 24,350–24,400 zone remains an immediate hurdle. This region coincides with the previous gap area as well as the 78.6% Fibonacci retracement of the recent corrective decline, making it a crucial resistance zone, Kothari added.

Related video: Small cap investing outlook: Why Mihir Vora sees big long-term opportunity | Market Guru (BT TV)

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Small cap investing outlook: Why Mihir Vora sees big long-term opportunity | Market Guru

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"Therefore, we would prefer to wait for a decisive close above 24,400 before turning more aggressively bullish and expecting a fresh leg of the uptrend. On the downside, our view remains unchanged. 24,000 continues to be the immediate support, followed by the stronger support zone near 23,800–23,650. As long as these levels hold, the broader trend remains positive, and our preferred strategy continues to be 'Buy on Dips', suggested the expert.

Meanwhile, for Bank Nifty, he said that the index remained range-bound for most of the week, broadly trading within the 57,000–59,000 zone. However, Friday's session witnessed a sharp rebound of over 900 points, enabling the index to close back above the 58,000 mark and improving near-term sentiment.

Going into the coming week, all eyes will be on the quarterly earnings of HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, and Kotak Mahindra Bank, which are likely to play a crucial role in determining the index's next directional move, he highlighted.

"Our broader view remains unchanged. A decisive close above 59,000 would confirm a fresh breakout and could trigger the next leg of the rally. On the downside, 57,000 continues to be the key support, and a sustained break below this level could lead to a short-term corrective phase. Until either of these levels is breached, traders should expect range-bound price action while maintaining a positive medium-term outlook," recommended Kothari.

Mehul Kothari's stock recommendations today under ₹200

Regarding stocks to buy under ₹200, Mehul Kothari recommended these three short-term picks: Suzlon Energy, IDBI, and Zee Entertainment Enterprises.

1) BUY Suzlon Energy near ₹51, Stop Loss ₹48, Target ₹57

2) BUY IDBI Bank near ₹86, Stop Loss ₹81, Target ₹95

3) BUY Zee near ₹105, Stop Loss ₹96, Target ₹112-117.

Disclaimer: The views and recommendations made above are those of individual analysts or broking companies, and not of Mint. We advise investors to check with certified experts before making any investment decisions.

Following the recent market recovery, Mehul Kothari (Deputy Vice President — Technical Research at Anand Rathi) has shared a constructive short-term technical outlook on the broader market indices. While he advises waiting for a decisive close above the 24,400 zone on the Nifty before turning aggressively bullish, his preferred strategy remains "Buy on Dips" as long as major structural support levels hold.

For a short-term trading window, Kothari recommended the following three stocks to buy under ₹200:

1. Suzlon Energy

• Action: Buy

• Entry Level: Near ₹51

• Target: ₹57

• Stop Loss: ₹48

2. IDBI Bank

• Action: Buy

• Entry Level: Near ₹86

• Target: ₹95

• Stop Loss: ₹81

3. Zee Entertainment Enterprises (ZEEL)

• Action: Buy

• Entry Level: Near ₹105

• Target: ₹112 – ₹117

• Stop Loss: ₹96

Note on Risk Management: Technical short-term picks rely heavily on momentum and structural chart levels. Adhering to the recommended stop-loss limits is key to maintaining your risk-reward balance on these trades.

Disclaimer: Equity investments are subject to market risks. Please consult with a SEBI-registered financial advisor before executing any trades based on technical recommendations.

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