Indian Youth Congress chief arrested over 'shirtless' AI Summit protest
What's the story
The Delhi Police has arrested Indian Youth Congress Chief Uday Bhanu Chib in connection with the recent protest by its members at the India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi last week. The protest, which took place on Friday, saw Indian Youth Congress workers staging a shirtless demonstration inside Bharat Mandapam. The protesters held T-shirts with slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the India-US trade deal. He has been sent for four days of police custody.
Legal action
Protest part of 'larger conspiracy': Police
Following the stunt, the Delhi Police filed a First Information Report (FIR) under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita. These include criminal conspiracy and unlawful assembly. The police claim that the protest was part of a "larger conspiracy" inspired by Nepal's recent Gen-Z-led agitation. They allege it was a pre-planned attempt to disrupt the high-profile event at Bharat Mandapam.
Arrests made
Arrests spark political row
So far, six people have been arrested in connection with this case. This includes Jitendra Yadav from Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh. Four other IYC workers were sent to five days of police custody on Saturday. The arrests have triggered a political row, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) calling it a "national shame" and Congress MP KC Venugopal condemning the detention as "completely illegal."
Political fallout
IYC defends protest, Modi slams Youth Congress
PM Modi slammed the Youth Congress for using an international event for "gandi aur nangi [dirty and shameless]" politics. "Such a conference had never been organized before in any of the developing countries of the world. But the Congress and its ecosystem turned India's global event into an arena for their naked and dirty politics," he said. Meanwhile, the IYC has defended the protest as a "peaceful" demonstration to protect national interests.