Delhi Police have arrested Indian Youth Congress (IYC) national president Uday Bhanu Chib in connection with the “shirtless protest” staged by Youth Congress members at the AI Impact Summit in the national capital last week.
The arrest comes a day after police confirmed the fifth arrest linked to the incident. The fifth accused, Jitendra Yadav, was apprehended from Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh.
The controversy began on Friday, February 20, when several IYC workers entered the AI Impact Summit venue at Bharat Mandapam and staged a shirtless protest inside the exhibition hall. The protesters wore T-shirts bearing slogans critical of the government, particularly targeting the India-US trade deal. Security personnel later escorted them out of the venue.
The protest, which took place at an international event attended by dignitaries from across the globe, drew sharp criticism from several quarters. However, the Youth Congress defended its actions, asserting that peaceful demonstrations should not be labelled as “anti-India.”
IYC National General Secretary Shesh Narayan Ojha stated that opposing the government is a democratic right. He accused the Centre and the BJP of attempting to portray the protest as anti-national propaganda.
According to Ojha, the message of the protesters was that the Prime Minister had compromised on national interests in the trade deal. He further alleged that Youth Congress workers faced police action, including lathi-charge and water cannons, during protests in several states. He also claimed that party leaders were detained during demonstrations at Jantar Mantar.
Ojha added that dissent against the government should not be equated with being anti-India and alleged that opposition voices were being suppressed, including when Rahul Gandhi raised the issue in Parliament.
