Delhi Court Sends IYC President to Four‑Day Custody After Shirtless AI Summit Protest
Updated (10 articles)
Court Orders Four‑Day Remand for IYC President Judicial Magistrate Ravi granted police a four‑day custodial remand on 24 Feb 2026 to question IYC president Uday Bhanu Chib about his alleged coordination of the shirtless demonstration at the AI Impact Summit, and prosecutor Atul Kumar Srivastava labeled him the “mastermind” despite his physical absence [1].
Shirtless Demonstration Sparks Nationwide Arrests On 20 Feb 2026, IYC members entered Hall 5 of Bharat Mandapam, removed shirts and displayed T‑shirts bearing anti‑Modi and anti‑India‑US trade‑deal slogans; police subsequently detained participants in Delhi, Madhya Pradesh and other states, with reports of eight total arrests including seven workers [1], five arrests noted earlier [2], and a separate account of ten detainees [4], reflecting divergent tallies across sources.
BJP Mobilizes Large‑Scale Rallies Against Congress Youth Wing BJP activists staged protests outside the Congress headquarters in Delhi on 21 Feb 2026, branding the IYC stunt “treason” and “anti‑national,” while in Mumbai the same day BJP supporters unfurled black flags at Rahul Gandhi’s rally, accusing him of opposing Prime Minister Modi’s initiatives; police blocked the Delhi march and deployed extensive security for Gandhi’s appearance [6][7].
Stone‑Pelting Clashes Injure Police and Journalists in Madhya Pradesh Following the Delhi protest, BJP, BJYM and Congress workers engaged in violent confrontations in Indore and Bhopal on 21 Feb 2026, hurling stones that wounded a police officer and two journalists; the state’s chief minister Mohan Yadav condemned the Youth Congress action as “opposing the nation,” while no formal FIRs had been filed at the time of reporting [3].
Police Investigate Funding and Conspiracy Behind T‑Shirt Campaign Authorities allege the demonstrators assaulted officers, are tracing money used to print the slogan‑laden T‑shirts, and note that the group originally planned to attach stickers to black umbrellas before switching tactics to avoid security detection; QR‑code passes were reportedly used to gain entry to the summit venue [2].
Sources
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1.
The Hindu: Delhi Court Sends IYC President to Custody Over Shirtless AI Summit Protest: reports Uday Bhanu Chib’s four‑day police custody order, prosecutor’s “mastermind” claim, and total arrests rising to eight .
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2.
The Hindu: Delhi Police makes fifth arrest over shirtless AI Summit protest: details the fifth arrest (Jitendra Yadav), describes the shirtless protest, and notes police probing a broader conspiracy and funding sources .
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3.
The Hindu: Clashes erupt in Madhya Pradesh as BJP and Congress protest AI Impact Summit demonstration: describes stone‑pelting clashes in Indore/Bhopal, injuries to police and journalists, and political statements from state leaders .
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4.
The Hindu: Union Minister slams Congress protest at AI Impact Summit as “well‑thought‑out conspiracy”: features Union Minister Kiren Rijiju’s condemnation of the protest as a “big sin” and “well‑planned conspiracy,” citing ten detainees .
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5.
The Hindu: Delhi Court Sends Four Youth Congress Protesters to Five‑Day Custody: notes five‑day custody for four senior IYC officials, police claims of anti‑national slogans and injuries to officers .
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6.
The Hindu: BJP protests outside Congress HQ over IYC “shirtless” demonstration at AI Impact Summit: covers BJP’s Delhi rally labeling the protest treason, police blocking the march, and the initial shirtless demonstration .
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7.
The Hindu: BJP workers display black flags to Rahul Gandhi in Mumbai protest: reports BJP’s black‑flag display at Rahul Gandhi’s Mumbai stop, linking it to the Youth Congress protest and describing heightened security measures .
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Timeline
Jan 5, 2020 – Masked assailants attack JNU hostels, injuring at least 28 students and igniting nationwide protests that later fuel student slogans against the government in 2026, establishing a backdrop of campus‑violence politics. [8]
Dec 17, 2025 – The Allahabad High Court declares the slogan “gustakh‑e‑nabi ki ek saja, sar tan se juda” a challenge to India’s law and sovereignty, says it incites armed rebellion and denies bail to accused Mohd Rihan, signalling a tough judicial stance on inflammatory speech. [9]
Dec 17, 2025 – Congress legislators in Chhattisgarh protest inside the state assembly, brandishing “Satyamev Jayate” placards and accusing the BJP of misusing central investigative agencies after the Enforcement Directorate’s charge sheet in the National Herald case is dismissed, prompting the speaker to adjourn the session. [10]
Jan 5, 2026 – JNU students hold a night protest, chanting slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah; Students’ Union president Aditi Mishra asserts the chants are “ideological and not personal,” while Delhi ministers Ashish Sood and Manjinder Singh Sirsa condemn them as separatist. [8]
Feb 20, 2026 – Indian Youth Congress members stage a shirtless demonstration inside Hall 5 of the AI Impact Summit at Bharat Mandapam, removing shirts to reveal T‑shirts with anti‑government slogans and shouting “The PM is compromised,” prompting security to intervene; the summit, inaugurated by Prime Minister Modi, concludes the same day with global AI leaders in attendance. [1][2][6]
Feb 21, 2026 – Union Minister Kiren Rijiju labels the Youth Congress protest a “big sin” and “shameful,” calls it a “well‑thought‑out conspiracy” that harms the nation, and claims Rahul Gandhi “gets sad when India progresses.” [3]
Feb 21, 2026 – BJP workers gather outside the Indian National Congress headquarters on Akbar Road, with Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva and MP Manoj Tiwari calling the IYC demonstration “treason” and accusing the Congress of opposing India and Prime Minister Modi. [6]
Feb 21, 2026 – In Mumbai, BJP supporters display black flags at Rahul Gandhi’s Mulund toll stop, shouting that he “consistently opposes whatever the Prime Minister does,” while Congress’s Sachin Sawant dismisses the display as a diversion from national issues. [7]
Feb 21, 2026 – Stone‑pelting clashes erupt in Indore and other Madhya Pradesh cities as BJP, BJYM and Congress workers confront each other over the Youth Congress shirtless demo; a police officer and two journalists are injured, and Chief Minister Mohan Yadav condemns the protest as “opposing the nation.” [4]
Feb 21, 2026 – Judicial Magistrate Ravi orders four senior IYC officials—Krishna Hari, Kundan Yadav, Ajay Kumar and Narasimha Yadav—into five‑day police custody, citing anti‑national slogans, injuries to three officers and the need to interrogate funding sources; the police lawyer calls the case “serious,” while the defence counsel argues the arrests violate democratic rights. [5]
Feb 23, 2026 – Delhi Police arrests Jitendra Yadav in Gwalior, marking the fifth detention linked to the shirtless protest; officials say the investigation probes a broader conspiracy, funding trails for the printed slogans, and alleged man‑handling of officers. [2]
Feb 24, 2026 – Judicial Magistrate Ravi grants a four‑day police remand for IYC president Uday Bhanu Chib, with public prosecutor Atul Kumar Srivastava branding him the “mastermind” who “communicated and monitored each and everything,” despite his physical absence from the protest. [1]
All related articles (10 articles)
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The Hindu: Delhi Court Sends IYC President to Custody Over Shirtless AI Summit Protest
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The Hindu: Delhi Police makes fifth arrest over shirtless AI Summit protest
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The Hindu: Clashes erupt in Madhya Pradesh as BJP and Congress protest AI Impact Summit demonstration
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The Hindu: Union Minister slams Congress protest at AI Impact Summit as “well‑thought‑out conspiracy”
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The Hindu: Delhi Court Sends Four Youth Congress Protesters to Five‑Day Custody
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The Hindu: BJP protests outside Congress HQ over IYC “shirtless” demonstration at AI Impact Summit
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The Hindu: BJP workers display black flags to Rahul Gandhi in Mumbai protest
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The Hindu: JNU students raise slogans targeting Modi and Shah after Supreme Court bail denial in 2020-riots cases
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The Hindu: Allahabad High Court says 'sar tan se juda' slogan challenges India's law and sovereignty; bail denied in Bareilly case
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The Hindu: Congress protests in Chhattisgarh over alleged misuse of investigating agencies after ED charge sheet dismissal