On Thursday, the Youth Congress Manipur publicly demanded the immediate release of Uday Bhanu Chib, the president of the Indian National Youth Congress, following his arrest during a “peaceful protest” at the global AI summit in New Delhi. Chib, along with ten others, was taken into custody after participating in a “shirtless protest” at Bharat Mandapam on February 20. Ningthoujam Popilal, spokesperson for Youth Congress Manipur, emphasized at a press conference that the BJP-led government had unjustly detained youth congress workers and initiated multiple erroneous legal cases against them. He pointed out a recent claim by the president of the BJP Mahilla Morcha at the state BJP office, who accused the Congress party of embarrassing the nation on an international stage. Popilal asserted that the Congress party has never betrayed the country, blaming the BJP for “selling the nation,” particularly highlighting an incident at the AI summit where a Chinese robot was presented as a national invention. He referenced the historical context of protests against the BJP, recalling a significant protest by BJP members during the 2010 Commonwealth Games against international athletes. The urgency of their demands was reiterated, focusing on the release of Chib and former IYC national spokesperson Bhudev Sharma, who were brought before a Delhi court and remanded to police custody for further interrogation following their arrest.
Imphal