Youth Congress president arrested over 'shirtless' protest; Congress slams Centre

Indian Youth Congress (IYC) president Uday Bhanu Chib has been arrested by Delhi Police in connection with the shirtless protest by a group of members of the outfit at the AI Impact Summit in the capital last week. Police announced the arrest on Tuesday (February 24).

Four-day police custody

Police said that 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.

Also Read: ‘You’re already naked’: PM Modi targets Congress over protest at Delhi AI summit

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.

Chib was sent to four-day police custody. Judicial Magistrate Ravi allowed four days of custody to the police to question Chib over his role in the protest, during which IYC members took their shirts off to reveal anti-Modi and anti-Centre slogans on t-shirts beneath.

The accused opposed the prosecution's remand plea, denying that a no "riot-like situation" was created and calling the allegations an attempt to "insert riots everywhere". They said those present were unarmed and beaten, questioning the need to recover t-shirts through custody.

Terming it a "simple case of criticism," the accused asked, "Can we not even handle criticism?" and argued there was no common intention to assault police or threaten the nation's sovereignty.

The counsel for the IYC president submitted that his client was not present at the spot and had already been interrogated, calling the remand plea "frivolous and irrelevant" as he asked the prosecution to show any prima facie conspiracy.

Public Prosecutor Atul Kumar Srivastava countered that the accused, though not physically present, was "communicating and monitoring each and everything" and was the "mastermind." He said the knowledge that the act could lead to a riot-like situation was sufficient and that as IYC president, he bore "additional responsibility."

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.

In addition, IYC's Uttar Pradesh general secretary Ritik alias Monty Shukla has been detained from Lalitpur in the state.

Congress hits back at Centre

Reacting to the development, Congress launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Asked about Chib's arrest, Congress' media and publicity department head Pawan Khera told PTI Videos, "It is the duty of the opposition to protest in a democracy, but a dictator will never understand this."

Also Read: Congress slams ‘witch hunt’ against IYC over shirtless protest

"If you hear the speech of that dictator in Meerut recently, you will get to know that the word democracy does not exist in his dictionary," Khera said, in a swipe at the prime minister.

Chib as well as other colleagues, are being arrested from various parts of the country. Khera, who is in Bhopal for the party's Kisan Maha Chaupal against the India-US interim trade deal, said, "This shows that Narendra Modi is scared of dissent and questions being asked of him. Narendra Modi is emerging as the most cowardly Prime Minister in the world. He is being blackmailed, he is a coward, he is scared," Khera alleged.

"It has been the Congress' history that no matter how much oppression we face, we will continue to raise issues of the people and will keep fighting with 'Ahimsa'," he said.

Security tightened across Capital

Police have also stepped up security across key locations in the capital in anticipation of possible protests following Chib’s arrest, which took the total number of people held in the case to eight.

Senior officers said additional force has been deployed at the sensitive points, particularly in New Delhi, a hotspot for political demonstrations.

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.

Also Read: Delhi court calls shirtless protest assault on public order

Quick Reaction Teams (QRTs) and additional companies of paramilitary forces have also been placed on alert to respond to any law and order situation, officials said.

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.

Probe expands, more arrests likely

A senior police officer said the role of each accused is being examined, and more arrests may follow.

"We are analysing CCTV footage, digital evidence and entry records to establish the sequence of events and identify the others involved in planning and executing the protest," the officer said.

Also Read: Congress uses robodog row to target govt, asks how Galgotias got into AI meet

Another senior officer said investigators are probing a possible conspiracy angle and tracking the financial trail behind the protest, including funding for printing the slogans on the T-shirts.

“We are examining whether there was any coordinated effort and how the logistics were arranged,” the officer said.

Inside the summit protest

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.

(With agency inputs)