IYC Chief Uday Bhanu Chib arrested over shirtless protest at AI Summit

Delhi Police have arrested Uday Bhanu Chib, national president of the Indian Youth Congress (IYC), in connection with the “shirtless protest” staged during the AI Impact Summit in the national capital last week.

The arrest comes a day after police confirmed the fifth detention in the case. The latest person held was Jitendra Yadav, who was apprehended from Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh. Earlier, several Youth Congress workers were taken into custody for allegedly entering the summit venue at Bharat Mandapam on February 20 and staging a protest inside the exhibition hall.

According to police, the protestors removed their shirts and displayed slogans criticising the government over the proposed India-US trade deal. Security personnel later escorted them out of the high-profile event, which was attended by dignitaries from India and abroad.

The Youth Congress, however, defended its actions, asserting that peaceful protest is a democratic right. IYC National General Secretary Shesh Narayan Ojha said opposing the government should not be labelled as “anti-India.”

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He alleged that similar protests were held in several states, where police resorted to lathi-charge and water cannons. Ojha also claimed that opposition voices were being suppressed, adding that raising concerns about the trade deal was within the party’s democratic rights.

Police said further investigation into the incident is underway.