Agartala, February 25:The Tripura Pradesh Youth Congress on Wednesday staged a mass sit-in demonstration in Agartala condemning the arrest of Indian Youth Congress (IYC) national president Uday Bhanu Chib in connection with protests during the India AI Impact Summit 2026 at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi.
The protesters demanded the immediate release of Chib and other detained Youth Congress members and called for the withdrawal of what they termed “false charges” against them.
Chib was arrested as part of an ongoing investigation into the protest held during the AI Impact Summit in the national capital.
The Youth Congress had demonstrated at the venue, alleging that the summit masked policy compromises by the Centre, particularly in relation to the recent trade deal with US and strategic issues.
Addressing reporters, Tripura Youth Congress president Neel Kamal Saha described the arrest as “illegal” and politically motivated.
He accused the BJP-led government at the Centre of attempting to suppress democratic dissent.
“I condemn the arrest of the IYC national president and other youth workers by Delhi Police. The BJP government has forgotten that in a democracy, raising voices, asking questions and protesting are not crimes. They are the strongest weapons of democracy,” Saha said.
He maintained that the detained Youth Congress members were peacefully protesting and had not resorted to violence.
According to him, the protest sought to highlight alleged compromises by the Prime Minister, including claims of unequal trade arrangements with the United States that could adversely impact Indian farmers, textile units and food grain producers.
Saha further alleged that the Centre was attempting to silence questions being raised over corporate and international dealings, referring to statements made by Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on related matters.
The Youth Congress also criticised the Delhi Police action, claiming Chib had been placed under remand despite not being directly involved in any unlawful activity. Party leaders compared the situation to protests held during the UPA era, arguing that similar crackdowns were not witnessed then.
The Tripura Youth Congress reiterated that peaceful protest is a constitutional right and warned that it would intensify agitation if the arrested leaders are not released immediately.
