IYC National President Uday Bhanu Chib Arrested Over AI Summit “Shirtless Protest”

NEW DELHI — The Delhi Police have intensified their crackdown on the Indian Youth Congress leadership following a demonstration that embarrassed the government during a premier global summit. Chib’s arrest follows the detention of five other members, including Jitendra Yadav, who was apprehended from Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, just 24 hours earlier.

The Incident: Breach at Bharat Mandapam

On Friday, February 20, several IYC workers bypassed security layers to enter the exhibition hall of the AI Impact Summit.

• The Protest: Demonstrators removed their shirts and walked through the venue holding T-shirts printed with slogans criticizing the India-US trade deal.
• The Message: The IYC alleged that the Prime Minister had “compromised” national interests in recent trade negotiations with the Trump administration.
• The Removal: Security personnel eventually cleared the hall, but videos of the “shirtless” activists among international delegates went viral, drawing sharp criticism from the ruling BJP.

The IYC’s Stance: “Not Anti-India”

The Youth Congress has remained defiant despite the mounting arrests. National General Secretary Shesh Narayan Ojha asserted that the crackdown is an attempt to “crush the opposition.”

• Peaceful Demonstration: Ojha argued that the protest was a peaceful exercise of democratic rights and should not be labeled “anti-India.”
• Parliamentary Silencing: The IYC claimed that the protest at the summit was necessary because Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi was “silenced” when trying to raise the trade deal issues in Parliament.
• Nationwide Friction: Following the summit incident, IYC protests at Jantar Mantar and other states were met with water cannons and lathi charges.

Legal Status and Investigation

The Delhi Police have registered cases involving:

• Section 330 (BNS): Criminal trespass.
• Section 221 (BNS): Obstructing public servants in the discharge of public functions.
• Security Protocol Violations: An internal inquiry is also underway regarding how the protestors managed to enter the high-security Bharat Mandapam during a global event.

Arrest Tracker: AI Summit Protest Case