In the high-stakes world of global technology diplomacy, where “disruption” is usually a buzzword for innovation, New Delhi just witnessed a different kind of disruption—one that involved less coding and more bare chests.
Today, February 23, 2026, the Delhi Police executed the fifth arrest in connection with a viral “shirtless” protest that rocked the India-AI Impact Summit at Bharat Mandapam. As world leaders and tech titans like Sam Altman and Sundar Pichai gathered to discuss the future of artificial intelligence, a group of Indian Youth Congress (IYC) workers managed to turn the spotlight toward a raw, political showdown.
Here is the deep dive into why this protest happened, the “conspiracy” the police are now investigating, and why a fifth man was just picked up hundreds of miles away from the capital.
The Fifth Arrest: The Man from Gwalior
Early this morning, the Delhi Police Crime Branch, in a coordinated strike with local authorities, arrested Jitendra Yadav in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh.
Yadav is the fifth individual to be formally arrested in a case that has seen the Delhi Police expand its net across multiple states, including Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. According to police sources, Yadav was not just a participant but was allegedly part of the core group that bypassed the multi-layer security of Bharat Mandapam—the same venue that hosted the G20 summit—using digital trickery.
The Growing List of Detainees
The arrest of Jitendra Yadav follows the earlier apprehension of four high-ranking Youth Congress members:
- Krishna Hari (National Secretary, IYC, from Bihar)
- Kundan Yadav (State Secretary, Bihar)
- Ajay Kumar (State President, Uttar Pradesh)
- Narasimha Yadav (Telangana)
With the investigation widening, the police are currently conducting raids in Jhansi and Lalitpur, seeking at least five more individuals who were seen in viral clips from the event.
What Actually Happened at Bharat Mandapam?
The incident unfolded on Friday, February 20, the final day of the five-day summit. As delegates moved between sessions in Hall No. 5, a group of roughly ten men who had entered as registered visitors suddenly stopped in the lobby.
In a choreographed move, they stripped off their over-shirts to reveal white T-shirts underneath—and in some cases, went completely shirtless—while shouting slogans against the Prime Minister and the Union Government.
The “Trojan Horse” Strategy
How did they get in? The Delhi Police’s investigation has revealed a surprisingly sophisticated plan:
- The QR Code Entry: The protesters reportedly registered online for the summit, obtaining legitimate QR codes that allowed them to pass through initial security checks without raising suspicion.
- The Umbrella Pivot: Sources suggest the group originally planned to sneak in black umbrellas with stickers pasted on them. Realizing that security would likely confiscate umbrellas at the gate, they switched to “wearable” protest gear—printing slogans on T-shirts worn as undershirts.
- The Messaging: The slogans weren’t just about AI. They featured images of PM Modi alongside US President Donald Trump, with bold text reading “PM is Compromised”, “India-US Trade Deal”, and “Epstein Files”.
The Core Grievances: Why Protest an AI Summit?
To the international delegates, the protest seemed out of place. Why bring trade deals and domestic politics to a tech conference? For the Indian Youth Congress, the timing was the whole point.
1. The India-US Trade Framework
The primary driver was the recently signed trade deal with the United States. The Congress party alleges that the deal is skewed in favor of American corporate interests, potentially hurting Indian farmers and the domestic tech sector. By protesting at the AI Summit, they aimed to show the “human cost” of these high-level digital agreements.
2. “PR vs. Reality”
Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, have dismissed the summit as a “PR spectacle.” They pointed to reports of a Chinese robot being showcased by an Indian university as its own “indigenous” product as evidence that the summit was more about optics than actual innovation.
3. Economic Anxiety
The IYC claimed the “shirtless” nature of the protest was symbolic of the “naked truth” of Indian youth—struggling with unemployment and inflation while the government hosts “glittering galas” for global billionaires.
The “Nepal Connection”: A Larger Conspiracy?
Perhaps the most startling development in the court proceedings today was the Delhi Police’s claim that the protest was inspired by the “Gen Z movement” in Nepal, which recently saw significant political upheaval.
The police argued before the Patiala House Court that this wasn’t a spontaneous outburst of anger but a pre-planned attempt to “sabotage India’s global image.” They are currently investigating:
- The Financial Trail: Who paid for the high-quality printing of the protest T-shirts and the travel of workers from four different states?
- The Printing Press: Raids are reportedly being conducted on the specific printing facilities used to create the protest materials.
- Section 61(2) & 121 BNS: The accused are being held under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) relating to criminal conspiracy and voluntarily causing hurt to deter a public servant from duty (following a scuffle with security during their removal).
The Political Fallout: “Gandi aur Nangi Rajneeti”
The reaction from the government has been scathing. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, speaking at a rally in Meerut, didn’t hold back:
“The Congress turned a global event into an arena for its gandi aur nangi (dirty and naked) politics. I ask them—the nation already knows your true form. What was the need to strip further?”
While the BJP has labeled the act “anti-national” and “urban naxalism,” the Congress has stood its ground. IYC President Uday Bhanu Chib defended the workers, stating that “peaceful protest is a right,” and that the party will not be silenced by arrests.
Why It Matters
This isn’t just a story about a few protesters losing their shirts. It represents a deepening divide in how India presents itself to the world:
- Security Questions: How did protesters with political intent manage to clear the security of a venue as high-profile as Bharat Mandapam?
- Diplomatic Image: With India positioning itself as a leader of the Global South in technology, domestic protests at international venues create a complicated narrative for foreign investors.
- The Limits of Dissent: The court’s description of the act as a “blatant assault on public order” suggests that the legal consequences for “symbolic” protests are becoming significantly more severe.
As the police continue to track down the remaining protesters, the “Shirtless in Delhi” incident remains a viral reminder that in the age of AI and high-tech diplomacy, the most disruptive thing in the room can still be a human being with a slogan and a point to prove.