1 hour ago
6
ARTICLE AD BOX
Delhi Police on Tuesday arrested Indian Youth Congress (IYC) national president Uday Bhanu Chib for his alleged role as the “main conspirator and mastermind” of the ‘shirtless’ protest during the AI Impact Summit in the capital last week.
Seven other individuals had been arrested earlier for the incident at Bharat Mandapam on Friday (February 20), during which around 10 protesters entered hall 5 wearing T-shirts printed with a picture of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which they had concealed under their winter clothes.
Once inside, most of the protesters took off their tees, and allegedly raised slogans against the Prime Minister. Four of them, all Youth Congress office-bearers, were arrested on the spot and remanded in five days’ police custody on Saturday.
Three other Youth Congress leaders were arrested in Gwalior on Monday. Chib, the eighth person to be arrested in connection with the protest, had been questioned at Tilak Marg Police Station since Monday afternoon.
In the FIR registered at the Tilak Marg Police Station, police accused all protesters of offences under sections including criminal conspiracy, causing hurt to a public servant, assault on a public servant, disobedience of a public servant’s order, and unlawful assembly. The investigation has been transferred to the Crime Branch.
Delhi Police Special CP Crime Branch Devesh Chandra Srivastava told reporters that the investigation so far had unearthed “concrete evidence that this (the protest) was done under a deep conspiracy”.
Hours after his arrest, a city court sent Chib to police custody for four days. “The application of the IO (investigating officer) is partly allowed. The accused, Uday Bhanu Chib, is remanded to police custody for a period of four days commencing today till 28.02.2026 (inclusive),” Judicial Magistrate Ravi of Patiala House Court ordered. Police had sought Chib’s custody for a week.
Story continues below this ad
In their “Grounds of Arrest”, Delhi Police told Chib that he was “the main conspirator and mastermind of the incident of unlawful assembly…where Anti-national Slogans were raised and…[the accused] “tried to incite riot like situation”.
Chib had allegedly conspired to “obstruct and assault” police officials, and had not “cooperated and also not disclosed the name of the co-accused persons” who had allegedly fled from the spot. Also, the police said, Chib had “not disclosed about the source of printing of T-shirts” that were used in the protest.
Counsel for Chib told the court: “They are saying we created a riot-like situation. This is their mantra: to insert riots everywhere. The accused persons were unarmed…and they were being beaten up. They’re (police) saying they need to recover T-shirts from the accused? We’ll become the laughing stock of the world!”
The lawyer argued that police had already interrogated Chib, and that he was not even present at the spot. “The purpose of seeking remand is very frivolous and irrelevant,” he said.
Story continues below this ad
Public Prosecutor Atul Kumar Srivastava, representing Delhi Police, countered that while Chib was “not there”, he was nonetheless “communicating and monitoring each and every thing”.
“They (protesters) gathered together and beat up police personnel. Knowledge that it could lead to a riot-like situation is enough. He is the mastermind,” Srivastava submitted.
Chib’s counsel responded: “It was a simple case of criticism. Can we not even handle criticism? Where are we heading to? There was nothing. No danda laathi. Did they go with common intention to beat up the police? A few people in printed shirts are impacting the sovereignty, integrity of the nation!”
The Congress described the arrests as “completely unconstitutional” and “the result of the arbitrary whims of the dictator Narendra Modi, who wants to silence every questioning voice”.
Story continues below this ad
“Peaceful protest is the right of every Indian. No regime can erase this truth,” the party said on its official handle on X. “Let it be clear: we will not be intimidated. We will not be silenced. We will continue to raise the voice of the people and fight relentlessly for their rights.”
In a similar post, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi said, “I am proud of my Babbar Sher colleagues in the Youth Congress, who have fearlessly raised their voices in the interest of the country against the ‘COMPROMISED PM’.
“The Congress Party and I stand firmly with our Babbar Sher colleagues. Holding a mirror to the truth to power is not a crime, it is patriotism. Do not fear — truth and the Constitution are with us.”
In a statement, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said there is widespread anger among the people against Prime Minister Modi. The Congress “is not one to be afraid, nor is it cowardly”, he said — “Mr Modi himself is the coward. Out of fear, he can’t even come to Parliament to defend his policies. That’s why he’s trying to scare us, trying to scare our youth, trying to scare our young leaders. This won’t work. I condemn this.”
English (US) ·