Youth Congress President arrested for ‘masterminding’ shirtless protest at AI Summit

Delhi Police on Tuesday arrested Uday Bhanu Chib, national president of the Indian Youth Congress, in connection with the shirtless protest staged at the AI Impact Summit held at Bharat Mandapam last week. Police described him as the “mastermind” of the demonstration and booked him on charges including criminal conspiracy, voluntarily causing harm to a public servant, obstructing a public servant on duty and wilful disobedience.

The protest took place on February 20, when Youth Congress workers entered the summit venue and walked through the exhibition hall shirtless, carrying T-shirts bearing slogans critical of the government and the India-US trade deal. Security personnel later escorted the demonstrators out of the venue. Police have so far made multiple arrests in the case and transferred the investigation to the Crime Branch’s Inter-State Cell.

According to police sources, Chib was questioned for nearly 20 hours before being taken into custody. Investigators told the court that individuals from different parts of the country were allegedly involved and that Chib needed to be confronted with other arrested accused as well as digital evidence. Authorities also indicated they were examining whether the protest was aimed at maligning India’s image before international dignitaries attending the summit.

Producing him before the Patiala House Court, police sought seven days’ custody, reiterating their claim that he orchestrated the protest. However, Chib’s counsel argued that he was neither present at the protest site nor issuing instructions, maintaining that peaceful protest is a democratic right and not an anti-national act.

The episode has triggered sharp political reactions. Prime Minister Narendra Modi criticised the Congress over the protest, while Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi defended it as a non-violent democratic expression. The confrontation has since escalated into a broader political battle over dissent, protest rights and the conduct of opposition parties at international events.