Indian Youth Congress Chief Uday Bhanu Chib was arrested on Tuesday for his link with the shirtless protest staged by a group of youth wing members at India’s Global AI Impact Summit last week. Bhanu has been arrested as the “main conspirator” and “mastermind” of the shirtless protest. A Delhi court has sent Chib to four-day police custody.
This makes the total number of arrests in the case eight. Police had earlier arrested seven Indian Youth Congress (IYC) workers, including three from Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh, for the protest at the Bharat Mandapam last Friday. They have been identified as Jitendra Yadav, Raj Gujjar, and Ajay Kumar. IYC's Uttar Pradesh general secretary Ritik alias Monty Shukla has been detained from Lalitpur.
Protests after the IYC President’s arrest is carried out by the Congress members. Delhi Police beefed up security across the major locations in the national capital. Security has been tightened around the Tilak Marg police station, where Chib is presently held, while barricades have been put up at the strategic points, with anti-riot teams on standby. Quick Reaction Teams (QRTs) and additional companies of paramilitary forces have also been placed on alert to respond to any law and order situation.
Senior officers have directed the field staff to ensure that traffic movement remains smooth.
“Our priority is to maintain public order and ensure that daily life is not disrupted. Preventive measures may be invoked if any group attempts to assemble without permission,” a senior officer said.
According to police, additional sections under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including 196 (promoting enmity between different groups and acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony) and 197 (assertions prejudicial to national integration), have been invoked in the FIR. Both carry a jail term of up to three years.
Charges of criminal conspiracy, obstruction of a public servant in discharge of duty, disobedience to an order duly promulgated by a public servant, unlawful assembly, and common intention had already been added to the case.
On Friday, a group of IYC workers staged a dramatic protest inside Hall No. 5 of the summit venue by removing their shirts to reveal T-shirts printed with slogans against the government and the India-US interim trade deal, before being whisked away by security personnel.
Police said the accused had registered online and obtained QR codes to gain entry into the venue.
The incident triggered a political slugfest, with the BJP calling it a "shameful act to tarnish India's image on the global stage", and the IYC defending it as a "peaceful" demonstration aimed at safeguarding national interests.
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