Shirtless protest at AI Summit: Delhi police arrest IYC president Uday Bhanu

Delhi Police on Tuesday arrested Indian Youth Congress IYC president Uday Bhanu Chib in connection with last weekrsquos shirtless protest by youth wing members at the AI Impact Summit in the capital reported PTIFollowing Chibrsquos arrest security has been intensified across key locations in New Delhi taking the total number of people detained in the case to eightEarlier seven IYC workers including three from Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh were arrested for the protest at Bharat Mandapam last Friday They have been identified as Jitendra Yadav Raj Gujjar and Ajay Kumar In addition IYCrsquos Uttar Pradesh general secretary Ritik alias Monty Shukla was detained from LalitpurQuick Reaction Teams and paramilitary units on high alertSenior officers said additional forces have been deployed at sensitive points particularly in New Delhi which is a hotspot for political demonstrations Security has been tightened around the Tilak Marg police station where Chib is currently held while barricades have been set up at strategic points with antiriot teams on standbyAccording to PTI Quick Reaction Teams QRTs and additional paramilitary companies have also been placed on alert to respond to any lawandorder situationSenior officers directed field staff to ensure that traffic movement remains smooth ldquoOur priority is to maintain public order and ensure that daily life is not disrupted Preventive measures may be invoked if any group attempts to assemble without permissionrdquo a senior officer saidPolice press chargesAccording to police additional sections under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita BNS including 196 promoting enmity between different groups and acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony and 197 assertions prejudicial to national integration have been invoked in the FIR Both sections carry a jail term of up to three yearsCharges of criminal conspiracy obstruction of a public servant in the discharge of duty disobedience to an order duly promulgated by a public servant unlawful assembly and common intention had already been added to the caseIYC workers protest at summit display sloganprinted TshirtsLast week a group of IYC workers staged a dramatic protest inside Hall No 5 of the summit venue by removing their shirts to reveal Tshirts printed with slogans against the government and the IndiaUS interim trade deal before being whisked away by security personnel Police said the accused had registered online and obtained QR codes to gain entry into the venueThe incident triggered a political slugfest with the BJP calling it a ldquoshameful act to tarnish Indiarsquos image on the global stagerdquo while the IYC defended it as a ldquopeacefulrdquo demonstration aimed at safeguarding national interestsA senior police officer said the role of each accused is being examined and more arrests may follow ldquoWe are analysing CCTV footage digital evidence and entry records to establish the sequence of events and identify others involved in planning and executing the protestrdquo the officer saidAnother senior officer added that investigators are probing a possible conspiracy angle and tracking the financial trail behind the protest including funding for printing the slogans on the Tshirts ldquoWe are examining whether there was any coordinated effort and how the logistics were arrangedrdquo the officer saidWith PTI inputs