Youth Congress president arrested over AI summit protest: Who is Uday Bhanu Chib?
Chib hails from a political family in north Jammu and was appointed the Indian Youth Congress chief in September 2024.
The protesters were purportedly wearing T-shirts with the Prime Minister’s picture printed on them, which they had concealed under their jackets and sweaters. Days after a political row was sparked over the shirtless protest by Indian Youth Congress (IYC) workers at the India AI Impact Summit in Delhi, the police on Tuesday morning arrested IYC national president Uday Bhanu Chib, which is likely to turn into a political flashpoint between the Congress and the BJP.
The Delhi Police announced the arrest on Tuesday morning after questioning Chib at the Tilak Marg Police Station since Monday afternoon. On Monday, as the police summoned Chib, the Congress alleged harassment and defended its workers who protested at the venue of the international summit.
Chib, who is 39 years old, is the eighth person arrested in connection with the case lodged over the shirtless protest. He is suspected of having played a role as a conspirator, said police officers. Chib and other IYC protesters involved in the demonstration at the AI summit have been defended by his party’s senior colleagues.
Chib broke into the national political scene on September 22, 2024, when he was appointed the national president of the IYC, succeeding Srinivas BV, who had become popular during the Covid pandemic as the “oxygen man” after he was seen helping people get access to oxygen cylinders during the crisis.
Congress leaders said Srinivas made the IYC more popular during the Covid pandemic, provided it with visibility, but that was more of a social cause. “Uday wants the IYC to become more and more political. His idea of protest is to make it visible, to make it accessible to the common people. So the country knows that the IYC and Congress are fighting on their issues,” said a leader.
Chib who enjoys the backing of Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi had sustained an injury during a protest against “vote chori” but continued the demonstrations with a bandaged hand. “His photos on social media sent a message to the IYC cadre that if the president can come out to protest with a broken finger, they can too. That’s the kind of energy he brings,” said an IYC leader.
“He is a very staunch follower of Bhagat Singh and BR Ambedkar… He is ready to scale a wall, barricade and argue with the police while protesting. But in meetings, he is soft spoken and sweet,” said AICC secretary Pradeep Narwal.
Chib hails from a political family in north Jammu. The son of Congress leader Hari Singh Chib, he has electoral ambitions. He wanted to contest the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections in 2024 and picked Jammu North. “But as the seat went to the alliance partner National Conference, he couldn’t contest,” said a Congress leader in Jammu.
Chib’s political career began in the NSUI, the student wing of the Congress, where he was the national secretary, and in the youth wing, he held the post of the IYC’s Maharashtra in-charge.
Chib, who has a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering and an MBA, was the in-charge of Delhi NSUI in 2017 when the organisation won the posts of President and Vice President elections in the Delhi University Students Union. Like Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, Chib is also into martial arts. He practices judo and has been the president of Shastri Judo Club in Jammu and has also been associated with the Silambam Martial Arts Association (J&K).
Completely unconstitutional: Congress
As Chib was arrested on Tuesday morning, the Congress called it “completely unconstitutional”. “It is the result of the whims of the dictator Narendra Modi,” said the party in a post on X. “The Constitution of the country has given every citizen the right to protest. Narendra Modi wants to snatch away even this right.”
The party said that it was “not going to be scared by these tactics” and “will continue to raise the voice of the people”.
In a post on X, Rahul Gandhi said he stood with Chib and the other “fearless” members of the Youth Congress who had been arrested.
“Peaceful protest is our historical legacy. It is in our blood and is the democratic right of every Indian. I am proud of my Babbar Sher comrades in the Youth Congress, who have fearlessly raised their voices in the interest of the country against the ‘COMPROMISED PM’.The trade deal with America has compromised the interests of the country. This agreement will harm our farmers and textile industry and hand over our data to America. The arrest of Youth Congress President Uday Bhanu Chib and other IYC comrades for bringing this truth before the country is proof of dictatorial tendencies and cowardice. The Congress Party and I stand firmly with our Babbar Sher comrades. Holding a mirror to the truth to power is not a crime, it is patriotism. Do not fear – truth and the Constitution are with us,” Gandhi wrote.
Congress leaders say the party will back the IYC workers and the president and will go into “confrontation mode”. “We have made it clear that we stand with these workers and Uday Bhanu,” said a Congress MP.
The Congress’s stand on the issue of the protest at the international summit became clear on Monday as several party MPs from across India addressed a press briefing defending Chib and others.
Among the Congress MPs was Sasikanth Senthil, who demanded that the harassment of IYC leaders and workers “must stop”. “Peaceful dissent should not be treated as a crime or a threat,” said Senthil.
He added that young people have the right to ask questions, especially when circumstances demand accountability.
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