Shirtless AI Summit protest: Delhi police makes 5th arrest; nabs Youth Congress worker from Gwalior

NEW DELHI: Delhi Police on Monday arrested Jitendra Yadav from Gwalior in connection with the Youth Congress protest at Bharat Mandapam during the AI Impact Summit.This is the fifth arrest made by Delhi Police in connection with the incident. Earlier, police had detained another Youth Congress protester while tracing the remaining protesters.According to Delhi Police, officials recovered T-shirts and posters used in the Indian Youth Congress protest at the AI Summit at Bharat Mandapam from the car of Indian Youth Congress leader Krishna Hari.On Saturday, a Patiala court sent four accused — Krishna Hari, Kundan Yadav, Ajay Kumar, and Narasimha Yadav — to five-day police custody under provisions including BNS Sections 121 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter a public servant from duty) and 61(2) (criminal conspiracy), offences carrying punishment exceeding three years.While hearing the matter, the court described the ‘shirtless’ protest as a “blatant assault on public order” that endangered India’s diplomatic image.“Such conduct palpably transcends the ambit of legitimate dissent, metamorphosing into a blatant assault on public order. It imperils not merely the event's sanctity but also the Republic's diplomatic image before foreign stakeholders, rendering it wholly unprotected by constitutional safeguards,” the magistrate said.‘Gandi aur nangi rajneeti’Prime Minister Narendra Modi also joined the chorus of criticism against the Congress party over its “shirtless” protest, accusing the grand old party of turning a global event into an arena for its “gandi aur nangi” politics.In his address after flagging off the Namo Bharat train, the Prime Minister said, “Congress turned a global event into an arena for its ‘gandi aur nangi’ (dirty and shameless) politics.”Further intensifying his attack on the largest opposition party, he added, “I ask Congress leaders — the nation already knows your true form. What was the need to strip further?”Following the incident, the Congress faced widespread backlash, including criticism from some of its allies and other opposition leaders, who termed the act “inappropriate,” in addition to sharp reactions from the ruling BJP.One of Congress’s key allies, Akhilesh Yadav, also denounced the protest, saying, “They should have refrained from doing something that brings shame to our country in front of foreign delegates and world representatives.”Youth Congress's topless protestOn Friday, a group of Youth Congress activists staged a high‑profile protest at the Bharat Mandapam venue. The accused displayed T-shirts featuring images of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump, alongside slogans against the government and the India-US trade deal, and were involved in a scuffle with security personnel.The protest took place on the final day of the five‑day summit, which has drawn global leaders and technology experts to discuss developments and the future of artificial intelligence.