Youth Congress stages protest over bail stay of chief

New Delhi: The Indian Youth Congress on Sunday afternoon held a 'peaceful satyagraha' demanding the release of its national president Uday Bhanu Chib and other members, arrested in connection with the "shirtless" protest during the AI Summit.

The protest comes a day after a Delhi court issued a stay on the bail granted to Chib, hours after a magistrate court had ordered his release, observing that the right to life and liberty is the "soul of the Indian Constitution".

The Youth Congress alleged that "when administrative pressure comes into play, even justice starts to waver."


"Though we are winning by justice, we are losing to the administration again and again. That's why our satyagraha will continue, and these issues will be raised as part of it," said Raza Ahmad, a member of the IYC media team.

Ahmad said several senior Congress leaders were also invited to join the protest.

"Uday Bhanu's bail was granted in the early hours of Saturday, and the bail bond had already been submitted. But later, we were informed that they had been sent to one day's custody for bond verification. Then, by evening, we were told that the bail bond had been cancelled and they were being sent to five days' remand," he said.

"The official call came at least an hour after the news had already broken in the media," Ahmad claimed.

Hours after Chib was granted bail on Saturday, Additional Sessions Judge Amit Bansal stayed the order following a plea by the Delhi Police, and listed the matter for further proceedings on March 6.

Chib had been produced before Duty Magistrate Vanshika Mehta at her official residence around 1 am on Saturday, after his four-day police custody, granted on February 24 after his arrest over the February 20 protest, came to an end.

The Youth Congress said its peaceful protest would continue until Chib and other detained members are released.