Uday Bhanu Chib, the national president of the Indian Youth Congress, was arrested by Delhi police on Tuesday in connection with the shirtless protest during the AI Summit at Bharat Mandapam last week.
Chib, officially arrested after being grilled for nearly 20 hours, was booked for criminal conspiracy, voluntarily causing harm to a public servant, obstructing a public servant on duty, and wilful disobedience, according to news agencies.
Chib was taken to the Patiala court for production. “Delhi Police arrests Youth Congress president Uday Bhanu Chib over shirtless protest at AI Summit,” news agency PTI said, quoting police officials on Tuesday.
The Indian Youth Congress is the youth wing of the Congress party.
Who is Uday Bhanu Chib?
Chib is a prominent Congress leader currently serving as the National President of the Indian Youth Congress (IYC). He was appointed to this role on 22 September 2024 by Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, succeeding Srinivas BV.
Chib hails from Paloura in Jammu, Jammu & Kashmir. He is an engineering graduate from Pune University and holds an MBA from Arni University, Himachal Pradesh.
Chib comes from a politically active family. His father, Hari Singh Chib, is the Vice President of the Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC).
Chib has risen through the ranks of the Congress party’s youth and student wings: He served as the National Secretary of the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) and was the State President for NSUI J&K. Before becoming National President, he was the President of the Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Youth Congress and later a General Secretary of the IYC.
Chib is the second leader from Jammu and Kashmir to head the IYC, following Ghulam Nabi Azad, who held the position in 1980.
What are the charges against Uday Bhanu Chib?
Chib has been booked under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including 61(2) for criminal conspiracy, 121(1) for voluntarily causing hurt or grievous hurt to deter a public servant from duty, news agency ANI said.
Other charges levelled against him include section 132 of BNS for assault or criminal force to deter a public servant from discharge of duty, 195(1) for assaulting or obstructing a public servant during riot suppression, 221 for obstructing a public servant in discharge of public functions, 223(A) for disobedience to orders of a public servant, 190 for offences by members of an unlawful assembly, 197 for imputations prejudicial to national integration, and 3(5) for common intention.
In the Patiala court, Delhi police sought seven days’ custody of Udai Bhanu Chib. Delhi police told the court that Chib hatched the conspiracy and provided logistical support to the protestors.
What happened on Friday at AI Summit?
A group of IYC workers entered the AI Expo Hall, walked with posters, and began chanting slogans. Later, they removed T-shirts.
The India AI Impact Summit 2026 was held in Delhi from 16 February to 20 February, marking the first global AI Summit to be hosted in the Global South. The summit has attracted government policymakers, industry AI experts, academicians, technology innovators, and civil society representatives from across the world to advance global discussions on artificial intelligence.
While the Congress faced flak over the protest at the event, which hosted dignitaries from around the world, the IYC defended the demonstration and said that “apeaceful demonstration is not anti-India.”
(With agency inputs)
