Youth Congress alleges harassment after AI Summit protest, targets US trade deal

The Indian Youth Congress (IYC) on Friday alleged that its members were subjected to “harassment” following protests held during the recent AI Summit, where the organisation had opposed a proposed trade deal with the United States.

Addressing a press conference in Delhi, IYC national president Uday Bhanu Chib said the demonstration was aimed at flagging concerns over what he described as a “compromised” agreement that could adversely affect key sectors of the economy.

“It is well known that we staged a protest during the AI Summit. The sole objective was to highlight how the government entered into this trade deal in a compromised manner,” Chib said.

He claimed the proposed deal would be “detrimental to the people of the nation, particularly farmers”, and warned that it could also impact the textile sector. Chib further alleged that the agreement posed risks to India’s data sovereignty.

“The nation’s data, which is our greatest asset, could potentially be transferred to the United States free of cost. This would result in losses for citizens and damage key sectors,” he said.

The IYC leader also said that several members of the organisation were detained following the protest and faced pressure from authorities. “Many of our colleagues were imprisoned and subjected to harassment. However, all of them have now been granted bail,” he added.

Referring to anticipatory bail granted to IYC national in-charge Manish Sharma in connection with the protest, Chib said the development reaffirmed their faith in the legal system.

Sharma, who also addressed the press conference, alleged that the protest was being “criminalised” and that police complaints did not accurately reflect what had transpired.

“Our colleagues were protesting peacefully, raising slogans, yet punitive action was initiated against them,” he said, adding that the families of some workers were harassed and their homes raided.

Maintaining that the right to protest is fundamental, Sharma said the organisation would continue to oppose what it termed a “one-sided” agreement.