Youth Congress Chief Granted Bail After Protest
Youth Congress chief Uday Bhanu Chib has been granted bail following his arrest. The charges stemmed from a protest where participants, including Chib, removed their shirts as a form of demonstration.
The protest occurred at the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, where Youth Congress members revealed T-shirts with slogans criticizing a proposed India-US trade deal. The demonstrators alleged the deal could negatively affect small traders, MSMEs, and local industries due to a lack of transparency. Delhi Police arrested Chib and several other Youth Congress members, accusing him of being the "main conspirator" behind the demonstration. In total, at least fourteen individuals have been arrested in connection with the protest. The charges filed against the protestors are extensive, including criminal conspiracy, rioting, obstructing a public servant, and promoting enmity between different groups. Police officials claimed the protest was a "deep conspiracy" intended to malign India's image during an international event. Following Chib's arrest, Youth Congress and Congress party members organized counter-protests in various locations, including Jammu and Manipur, condemning the arrests as an "assault on democratic values" and an attempt to silence dissent. A Delhi court granted Chib bail in a midnight hearing, with the magistrate stating there were no solid reasons for his continued police custody. However, a Sessions Court later stayed the magistrate's order following a challenge by the Delhi Police. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) condemned the protest, labeling it "shameful" and an act that tarnished the nation's image. BJP's youth wing, the BJYM, held its own demonstrations, demanding an apology from Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.
