New Delhi | Delhi Police has filed a voluminous 5,000-page chargesheet detailing an alleged month-long planning process behind the "shirtless" protest staged by Indian Youth Congress (IYC) members at the AI Impact Summit at Bharat Mandapam in February that ran into controversy, an official said on Wednesday.
According to the chargesheet submitted by the Crime Branch, 18 people, including IYC president Uday Bhanu Chib and office-bearer Manish Sharma, have been named as accused, while around 130 witnesses have been cited in it.
Investigators have claimed that the protest was not spontaneous but the outcome of a series of meetings held across central and south Delhi in the weeks leading up to the February 20 summit. These meetings allegedly took place at the IYC office as well as at restaurants in Connaught Place, Safdarjung and other areas, where roles were assigned and logistics finalised.
Police sources said a social media group was created to coordinate the plan, which involved arranging printed T-shirts and identifying a suitable venue inside the high-security summit premises. The probe has indicated that T-shirts bearing "objectionable imagery" were printed at a facility in Okhla ahead of the event, they said.
Despite initial mobilisation efforts, only a handful of participants reportedly managed to assemble on the day of the summit. They allegedly entered Bharat Mandapam and attempted to hold a protest inside the venue, officials said.
The chargesheet further states that the accused had earlier explored holding demonstrations at Jantar Mantar but shifted focus to the international summit venue in a bid to draw wider attention. One of the accused is said to have suggested targeting a hall closer to exhibition areas frequented by global delegates to maximise visibility.
Police have described certain accused as key coordinators who allegedly oversaw participant mobilisation, material preparation and on-ground execution. One individual was specifically tasked with finalising participants for the protest, the document states.
The case pertains to alleged disruption attempts during the high-profile AI summit, which was attended by international delegates and industry leaders. Further proceedings in the matter are underway before a city court.
IYC workers entered the AI summit venue on February 20, held a dramatic protest by removing their shirts to reveal T-shirts printed with slogans against the government and the India-US interim trade deal, before being whisked away by security personnel.
The T-shirts had images of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump printed on them, with slogans reading “PM is compromised” and opposing the “India-US Trade Deal” and “Epstein Files”.
The protesters also scuffled with security personnel and police staff deployed at the venue.
The incident triggered a political slugfest, with the BJP calling it a “shameful act to tarnish India’s image on the global stage”, and the IYC defending it as a “peaceful” demonstration aimed at safeguarding national interests.
