Youth Congress chief arrested for masterminding shirtless AI Summit protest: Cops
Youth Congress chief arrested for masterminding shirtless AI Summit protest: Cops
M.U.H
24/02/202630
Delhi Police on Tuesday arrested Indian Youth Congress national president Uday Bhanu Chib in the early hours of the morning, marking the eighth arrest in connection with the shirtless protest and slogans raised against Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the recently concluded AI Impact Summit.
Sources said the Youth Congress chief was arrested after being grilled for nearly 20 hours, with police alleging that he was not cooperating with the investigation. He has been booked on charges of criminal conspiracy, voluntarily causing harm to a public servant, obstructing a public servant on duty, and wilful disobedience.
According to Congress MP Sasikanth Senthil, Uday Bhanu was picked up by the Delhi Police at around 4:30 am and has been in custody for nearly 20 hours.
According to sources, evidence has been found suggesting that Uday Bhanu was involved in the planning.
There is a need for prolonged questioning of Uday Bhanu, and for that, he needs to be taken into custody for interrogation, police sources told India Today TV. Sources also said they are not viewing it as a routine protest, but are probing an angle of deliberately maligning India’s image in front of global dignitaries at the AI Impact Summit.
The AI Summit protest case has been transferred to the Delhi Police Crime Branch. Further investigation in the matter will be carried out by the Crime Branch’s Inter-State Cell (ISC).
The seven arrested accused are linked to the Youth Congress, and Uday Bhanu will be confronted with all of them, sources further revealed.
Only after confronting Uday Bhanu with the arrested accused, will it become clear how, when, and where the planning took place, sources added.
According to the arrest memo, anti-national slogans were raised and attempts were made to incite a riot. It stated that the Youth Congress chief, along with other co-conspirators, obstructed and assaulted police officials on duty. “Further, during interrogation, you have not cooperated and have also not disclosed the names of the co-accused who fled the spot,” the memo read.
UDAY BHANU'S LAWYER SAYS HE WASN'T PRESENT AT PROTEST
The Delhi Police produced the Youth Congress chief before Patiala House Court at 10 am and secured a four-day police remand. Describing him as the “mastermind,” the police told the court that individuals from across the country were involved and that he needs to be taken to multiple locations for investigation.
The police further said that designated representatives from other countries were present during the AI Summit, and protesters from various states assembled and demonstrated.
On the other hand, Bhanu’s lawyer argued that he is the national president of the Indian Youth Congress and was neither present at the protest site nor issuing any instructions related to the protest.
“He was neither communicating with anyone nor issuing any instructions,” Bhanu’s lawyer told the court.
The counsel further argued that protests are common at international events.
“People outside are appreciating that India is a democracy where you can protest,” he said.
'SHIRTLESS PROTESTS MODELLED AFTER NEPAL'S GEN Z PROTESTS'
Earlier, the Delhi Police suspected a larger conspiracy against the government, claiming that inspiration had been drawn from Gen Z protests in Nepal -- a movement that recently toppled the government there.
“This is a larger conspiracy that has taken inspiration from the Gen Z protests in Nepal. The accused need to be confronted with each other as well as with digital evidence. This is a very important investigation,” the police told the court while seeking custody of the arrested Youth Congress members.
What drew the Delhi Police’s attention even more was who funded the printing of the T-shirts worn at the Summit, which carried messages such as “PM is compromised”, “India-US Trade Deal”, and “Epstein Files”.
RAHUL MAY COME TO PARLIAMENT IN UNDERWEAR: GIRIRAJ SINGH
Soon after the arrest of the Youth Congress chief, Union Minister Giriraj Singh lashed out at Rahul Gandhi, calling him “mentally unstable,” and said the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha might now turn up in Parliament in his underwear.
Hitting out at the arrest, Congress leader Pawan Khera said, "This is a matter of shame that they have a problem with someone staging a protest peacefully."
Earlier, the Youth Congress’s shirtless protest soon escalated into a political war of words, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying the Congress was "already naked," while Rahul Gandhi described it as a non-violent, democratic act and a "foundation of democracy."
Addressing a public rally in Meerut, Prime Minister Narendra Modi lashed out at the Congress, saying, "The Congress turned a global event for India into a platform for its dirty and naked politics. Congress leaders reached the venue naked in front of foreign guests. The country already knows you are naked; why did you need to remove your clothes?"
