The Manipur Pradesh Youth Congress Committee warned the Centre of a nationwide agitation if the detained president of the Indian Youth Congress and other youth leaders are not released immediately.
Addressing a press conference at Congress Bhavan in Imphal, MPYCC Vice President Abinash Naorem alleged that the arrest of IYC president Uday Bhanu Chib and several youth activists was unjustified and politically motivated. He stated that the detention followed a protest linked to events at the AI Impact Summit 2026 held at Bharat Mandapam.
Naorem alleged that during the summit, a robotic unit identified as “Unitree Go2,” reportedly of Chinese origin, was presented by a private university as an Indian innovation. The matter gained public attention after foreign journalists raised questions regarding the robot’s origin on social media platform X, he said.
According to the MPYCC, members of the Indian Youth Congress, led by Uday Bhanu Chib, sought to march towards the venue of the summit to register their protest against what they described as a misrepresentation. However, they were detained by authorities before reaching the site.
Naorem criticised the BJP-led government at the Centre, accusing it of curbing dissent instead of addressing the controversy transparently. He asserted that the detention of youth leaders for staging a peaceful protest reflects intolerance towards democratic expression.
Former MPYCC president Ningthoujam Popilal also addressed the media, terming the arrests “unwarranted” and demanding the unconditional release of the detained leaders. He warned that if the Centre fails to act promptly, the Youth Congress would intensify its response through coordinated protests across the country.
The MPYCC maintained that the issue concerns transparency and national credibility, and reiterated that continued detention of the IYC leadership would provoke a broader mobilisation of Youth Congress units nationwide.