Delhi Police Arrest IYC Chief Uday Bhanu Chib Over ‘Shirtless Protest’ at AI Impact Summit

Delhi Police have arrested Indian Youth Congress national president Uday Bhanu Chib in connection with last week’s ‘shirtless protest’ staged by Youth Congress members at the AI Impact Summit venue in New Delhi.

The arrest comes a day after police confirmed a fifth arrest linked to the incident. The individual, identified as Jitendra Yadav, was detained from Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh.

The action follows an episode on February 20, when several Indian Youth Congress (IYC) workers entered the summit at Bharat Mandapam and demonstrated inside the exhibition hall. The protesters reportedly walked shirtless while displaying T-shirts bearing slogans critical of the government, particularly over the India–US trade deal. Security personnel later escorted the demonstrators out of the venue.

While the protest drew criticism given the presence of international delegates, the IYC defended the demonstration, stating that peaceful protest should not be labelled anti-India.

IYC national general secretary Shesh Narayan Ojha said opposing the government is a democratic right. “Some of our leaders peacefully protested at the AI Summit. A peaceful demonstration is not anti-India. By calling anything against the government ‘anti-India,’ can they escape from the issues?” he said, according to ANI.

Ojha further alleged that Youth Congress protests across states were met with police action, including lathi charges and water cannons. He also claimed that opposition voices were being suppressed, referencing Rahul Gandhi’s remarks in Parliament on the trade deal.