New Delhi: Uday Bhanu Chib, national president of the Indian Youth Congress, has been arrested in connection with a shirtless protest staged during the AI Impact Summit at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. The arrest came after nearly 15 hours of questioning at Tilak Marg police station.
Police officials stated that Chib was taken into custody following multiple rounds of interrogation, alleging that he did not cooperate with investigators and attempted to mislead the inquiry. Authorities said they possess adequate evidence related to the demonstration. He was later produced before a court and remanded to four days in custody. With this development, the total number of arrests in the case has risen to eight.
The protest has triggered a sharp political confrontation. The Bharatiya Janata Party strongly criticised the demonstration, calling it irresponsible and damaging to the country’s image at a global platform. Party spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla accused the Congress of attempting to undermine India’s progress, arguing that the summit had received widespread international appreciation from global leaders and prominent figures in the technology sector. He described the protest as an affront not to a political party but to the nation’s achievements.
In response, leaders from the Indian Youth Congress defended their actions, maintaining that the protest was peaceful and aimed at drawing attention to concerns about the prime minister’s conduct. National general secretary Sheh Narayan Ojha said the demonstration was intended to raise issues they believe have not been adequately addressed. She also alleged that party workers had faced police action during previous protests in different parts of the country.
The incident has further escalated tensions between the ruling party and the opposition, casting a political shadow over an event designed to highlight India’s growing role in artificial intelligence and emerging technologies.
