Jammu, India: Congress leaders and workers took to the streets in Jammu on Wednesday to protest the arrest of Uday Bhanu Chib, the National President of the Indian Youth Congress (IYC). Demonstrators termed the arrest politically motivated and an attack on democratic rights.
Chib, a native of Jammu, was arrested in New Delhi on Tuesday and remanded to four days of police custody by a local court. The arrest is linked to a protest held during the AI Impact Summit at Bharat Mandapam on February 20. While Chib was not physically present in the shirtless protest at the venue, police have accused him of being the “main conspirator” and “mastermind” behind the demonstration.
March Through Jammu Streets
The protest in Jammu was organized by the Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) along with other Congress frontal organizations, primarily the IYC’s Jammu and Kashmir unit. Led by JKPCC Working President Raman Bhalla, protesters marched from Shaheedi Chowk, home to the Congress office, through Residency Road, Raghunath Bazar, and nearby areas.
Carrying party flags and placards supporting Chib, Congress and IYC workers raised slogans against the central government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, alleging misuse of power to silence dissent.
Congress Slams Arrest
Addressing the gathering, Bhalla said the IYC protest during the AI summit was peaceful and fully within the democratic rights guaranteed by the Indian Constitution. He accused the BJP-led government of adopting an “autocratic approach” and attempting to suppress the voice of young people.
Bhalla also claimed the AI summit had been underway since February 16 and that the protest on February 20 came after India’s image was allegedly embarrassed by the display of a Chinese dog robot, which he said was projected as an Indian innovation.
Demand for Immediate Release
Protesters demanded the immediate release of Uday Bhanu Chib and other IYC workers arrested in New Delhi. Congress leaders further called on the central government to apologize, alleging that the arrests were based on a fabricated narrative aimed at intimidating youth activists.
The issue has added to growing political tensions, with the Congress asserting that peaceful protest is a constitutional right and warning that continued crackdowns could further inflame opposition against the ruling party.