Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday slammed the arrest of Indian Youth Congress (IYC) chief Uday Bhanu Chib and other members of the party, calling it "proof of dictatorial tendencies and cowardice."
Uday Bhanu Chib was arrested by the Delhi police on Tuesday in connection with a case filed against the outfit members for protesting at the venue of the India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi.
Reacting to the arrest, Rahul Gandhi said he is proud of his fellow members of the Youth Congress, who have "fearlessly raised their voices in the interest of the country against the COMPROMISED PM."
"The arrest of Youth Congress President Uday Bhanu Chib and other IYC comrades for bringing this truth before the country is proof of dictatorial tendencies and cowardice," the Congress leader said in a post on X.
Gandhi said peaceful protest is Congress's "historical legacy."
"It is in our blood and is the democratic right of every Indian," he said.
"The Congress Party and I stand firmly with our fellow members. Showing the mirror of truth to power is not a crime, it is patriotism. Don't be afraid - the truth and the Constitution are with us," Gandhi said, using the hashtag 'I Stand With Youth Congress'.
Earlier, Congress' media and publicity department head Pawan Khera slammed Prime minister Narendra Modi over the arrest and alleged he is "scared" of dissent and questions being asked of him.
"It is the duty of the opposition to protest in a democracy but a dictator will never understand this... If you hear the speech of that dictator in Meerut recently you will get to know that the word democracy does not exist in his dictionary," Khera said, in a swipe at PM Modi.
So far eight IYC members have been arrested in the case.
An FIR has been registered at Tilak Marg police station invoking serious provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including criminal conspiracy, hurt to a public servant, assault on and obstruction of a public servant in discharge of duty, disobedience to an order duly promulgated by a public servant, unlawful assembly, and common intention.
Later, additional sections under the BNS, including 196 (promoting enmity between different groups and acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony) and 197 (assertions prejudicial to national integration) were invoked in the FIR, which carry a jail term of up to three years.
The police action came after a group of protesters marched into Exhibition Hall No. 5 of the AI summit on Friday, wearing or holding white T-shirts printed with images of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump, along with slogans such as "India-US Trade Deal," "Epstein Files," and "PM is compromised," which soon resulted in a commotion.
The police said they are probing an alleged "wider conspiracy angle" in connection with the protests.