Youth Congress chief Uday Bhanu Chib arrested over shirtless protest at AI Impact Summit

Political Storm After Bharat Mandapam Protest

February 24, 2026

AI Summit Protest: Youth Congress Chief Arrested

Eighth arrest in case; BJP and Youth Congress trade sharp barbs over Bharat Mandapam incident

Uday Bhanu Chib, national president of the Indian Youth Congress, was arrested after nearly 15 hours of questioning in connection with the shirtless protest during the AI Impact Summit at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi.

Police sources said Chib was detained after prolonged interrogation at Tilak Marg police station. Investigators alleged that he did not cooperate during questioning and attempted to mislead officials. They added that sufficient evidence had been gathered in the case. Chib is expected to be produced before a court. His arrest marks the eighth in connection with the incident.

Political war of words

The ruling BJP had earlier criticised the protest, calling it “characterless, brainless, and emotionless.” Party spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla accused the Congress of undermining India’s achievements at a globally significant event.

He said the AI Summit had drawn praise from global leaders and technology executives, including French President Emmanuel Macron, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, and Google CEO Sundar Pichai. Poonawalla also claimed that even senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor had praised the summit.

Youth Congress defends protest

The Youth Congress defended its action, describing the protest as peaceful and aimed at drawing attention to what it termed a “compromised” prime minister.

National general secretary Sheh Narayan Ojha said the protest sought to highlight concerns over governance and recent developments, including an India-US trade deal. She alleged that opposition voices, including Rahul Gandhi, were being prevented from raising certain issues in Parliament.

“Our message was clear. We did not harm anyone. For the party, India may mean the prime minister, but for us, India means the public,” Ojha said.

The shirtless protest at the AI Impact Summit has triggered a broader political confrontation between the BJP and the Congress, with both sides accusing each other of misusing a global platform for domestic politics.

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