Delhi Police made the fifth arrest in connection with the shirtless protest organized by Indian Youth Congress workers at the AI Impact Summit here last week, an official said on Monday.
The accused, identified as Jitendra Yadav, has been arrested from Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh, bringing the total number of arrests in the case to five, police said.
On Friday, a group of Indian Youth Congress (IYC) workers staged a dramatic shirtless protest at the exhibition hall during the AI Impact Summit at Bharat Mandapam, where they walked around carrying T-shirts printed with slogans against the government and the Indo-US trade deal, before being whisked away by security personnel present at the venue.
Delhi Police arrested four IYC workers on the day of the protest, with officials saying the wider conspiracy angle in the matter is under investigation.
The issue sparked a political row with the BJP calling it a “shameful act to tarnish India’s image on the world stage”, and the IYC defending it as a “peaceful” demonstration aimed at protecting national interests.
According to the police, on Friday, IYC workers entered the lobby area of Hall No. 5 and raised slogans after removing the T-shirts they were wearing under their shirts.
According to police sources, the protesters allegedly registered online to obtain QR codes to enter the venue. The accused had initially planned to paste printed stickers on black umbrellas and sneak them into the Bharat Mandapam.
However, they later felt that the black umbrellas might attract the attention of security personnel manning the gates, so they changed their plan and put the printed stickers on the T-shirts and wore them under their shirts, a source said.
Once inside, they raised slogans after removing the T-shirts worn over the slogan-printed T-shirts, which read “PM Vulnerable”, “India-US Trade Deal” and “Epstein Files”.
The sources claimed that the protesters manhandled some police officers while carrying out their duty, and that the whole matter is under investigation.
Investigators are also investigating the financial path behind the protest, including who funded the printing of the slogans on the T-shirts.
Sources said IYC Chairman Uday Bano Shaib was earlier questioned in connection with the case, and more names emerged during the interrogation of the accused.
