Congress National General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi-Vadra. File | Photo credit: Vijay Soneji
Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Wednesday (February 25, 2026) said the action against Youth Congress members for raising the voice of the people was “highly condemnable” and “shameful”.
She argued that it was in the interest of 1.4 billion Indians to raise their voice against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and a government that had “compromised” Indian interests by bowing to global pressure.
Her remarks came a day after Delhi police arrested Indian Youth Congress president Uday Bhanu Chiba as the “main conspirator” and “mastermind” of the shirtless protest at the AI summit last week and added rioting charges against him and six other IYC workers who had been detained earlier.
In a post in Hindi on X, Priyanka Gandhi said, “Peaceful and non-violent resistance for truth is our proud heritage, inherited from Mahatma Gandhi and millions of our Indian forefathers.” “It is in the interest of 1.4 billion Indians to raise their voice against the Prime Minister and the government who have compromised India’s interests by bowing to global pressure,” she said.
“The action against the Youth Congress members for raising the voice of the people is highly condemnable and shameful. The Congress party stands firmly by the fearless soldiers of the Youth Congress,” she said.
Peaceful and non-violent opposition to the truth is our glorious heritage, inherited from Mahatma Gandhi and millions of Indian forefathers. It is in the interest of 140 million Indians to raise their voice against a Prime Minister and a government who are compromising India’s interests by bowing to pressure from around the world.…
— Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) February 25, 2026
On Friday (February 20, 2026), a group of IYC workers staged a dramatic protest at Hall 5 of the summit venue by removing their shirts to reveal T-shirts printed with slogans against the government and the India-US Interim Trade Agreement before being escorted away by security personnel.
The Congress strongly condemned the arrest of Chiba and other IYC workers, with Rahul Gandhi claiming that the action reflected “dictatorial tendencies and cowardice”.
Published – 25 Feb 2026 11:58 IST
