Jammu

The Indian National Congress on Wednesday staged protests in Jammu city against the arrest of Uday Bhanu Chib, chief of the Indian Youth Congress (IYC), and other leaders in connection with last week’s “shirtless protest” at an AI impact summit in the national capital.

Led by Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress working president Raman Bhalla, party workers took out a march from the Congress office on Residency Road, carrying placards and raising slogans against the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Police had deployed heavy security and erected barricades at Raghunath Bazaar to prevent the protesters from advancing further. Officials said Congress workers were stopped from crossing the barricades.

Addressing reporters, Bhalla termed Chib’s arrest “illegal and arbitrary” and accused the Union government of acting out of fear and attempting to suppress dissent. He said the party would continue its agitation until the IYC chief and other detained leaders are released.

“The attempt to suppress the voice of the youth is highly condemnable,” Bhalla said, adding that the protest at the summit was peaceful and within democratic rights. He maintained that the demonstration had raised farmers’ concerns and did not warrant such action.

He further alleged that the Centre had made the issue a matter of prestige and should apologise for its handling of the situation.

Congress spokesperson Ravinder Sharma also criticised the arrests, calling them undemocratic. He said the youth leaders had neither resorted to violence nor carried any weapons during the protest.

“We are peacefully protesting against the arbitrary arrests of our leaders. We will protest across Jammu and Kashmir till they are released,” Sharma said.

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The party indicated that demonstrations would continue in other parts of the Union Territory in the coming days.