New Delhi [India], February 24 : Congress workers on Tuesday held protests in several states against the arrest of Indian Youth Congress chief Uday Bhanu Chib, who was sent into a four-day police custody in connection with the AI Impact Summit protest.
National Student Union of India (NSUI), the student wing of Congress, protested in the national capital against the arrests of the IYC workers.
Newly appointed NSUI President Vinod Jhakar said, "Uday Bhanu Chib has been arrested, and this is undemocratic. IYC workers protested peacefully; they did not resort to violence, nor were they carrying any weapons. On the other hand, a university claimed a robot was built by them, while it was known through a Chinese social media handle that it was actually bought from China. We are peacefully protesting at the IYC office against the arbitrary arrests of our leaders. We will protest across the nation till they are released."
In Rajasthan's Jaipur, the Youth Congress workers, led by its State President and Sangaria MLA Abhimanyu Poonia, began a foot march from the Congress office to the BJP state headquarters.
Youth Congress workers also held a demonstration in Kolkata.
Earlier today, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, backed the Indian Youth Congress for protesting at the AI Impact Summit, calling them "Babbar-sher (lion-hearted)."
As IYC chief Uday Bhanu Chib was sent to a sent into a four-day police custody after seven party workers were arrested in connection with the "shirtless" protest, Gandhi asked Youth Congress workers not to fear.
Addressing Congress' Kisan Mahachaupal in Bhopal, the Congress MP said, "Youth Congress members are 'babbar-sher'. You will not fear anyone. You have patriotic blood in you. You brought the Green Revolution, made industries, brought the IT revolution, and PM Narendra Modi ended all of this."
This came after the Patiala House Court on Tuesday granted four-day custody of the Indian Youth Congress President, Uday Bhanu Chib, to the Delhi Police in connection with the AI Summit Protest case.
The police said that Chib was the mastermind of the protest carried out by the four co-accused, who are also in police custody. This case involves national security, sovereignty and the integrity of the country.
The police had earlier sought seven days' custody of the IYC President. Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) granted the four-day custody after hearing the submissions of Additional Public Prosecutor (APP) and counsel for the accused Chib.
The members of the Indian Youth Congress staged a protest at the Bharat Mandapam venue of the Al Impact India Summit in the national capital on Friday by removing their shirts with slogans that read, "Compromised PM".
The party workers removed their shirts as a mark of dissent against the India-US trade deal, after which seven Youth Congress leaders were arrested in connection with the case.