Youth chief Uday Bhanu Chib's arrest govt's bid to silence protest, says Congress

The Congress condemned the arrest of its youth wing president, Uday Bhanu Chib, and several party workers on Tuesday. It accused the Centre of curbing dissent and distracting from pressing issues. Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, called the arrests a sign of “dictatorial tendencies”. He claimed the government sought to suppress voices raising questions in the national interest.Gandhi insisted that peaceful protest remains a democratic right and part of the party’s legacy.

Delhi Police arrested Chib and other Indian Youth Congress members over a shirtless protest at an AI summit in the national capital last week, officials said.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge noted that the arrests occurred amid rising unemployment and public dissatisfaction. He alleged that recent policy decisions—including a trade agreement with the United States—harmed farmers and workers.

Kharge also criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for dodging accountability and intimidating opposition leaders and youth voices. He vowed that the Congress would press on with its political struggle to defend democratic values and constitutional rights.

Echoing similar views, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh described the arrests as unjustified and said the party would continue to challenge what he called misinformation by the government. He alleged that the action was meant to divert attention from public anger over economic issues and policy decisions.