24-hour drama over Youth Congress arrests after AI Summit protest
February 26, 2026: A tense face-off between Delhi Police and Himachal Pradesh Police ended Thursday morning after nearly 24 hours, allowing the Delhi team to return to the national capital with three Youth Congress activists arrested over the February 20 “shirtless protest” at Bharat Mandapam. The confrontation began when Himachal Police registered a kidnapping case against unidentified Delhi personnel and stopped their convoy near Shimla, despite a local court granting transit remand to take the accused to Delhi.
The deadlock intensified as the convoy was halted multiple times at Shoghi and Kanlog, with Shimla police seeking access to alleged digital evidence and CCTV footage seized during the arrests in Rohru. Delhi Police maintained the arrests were lawful and said a seizure memo had already been presented before the magistrate while securing transit custody. After several hours of negotiations and sharing documentation, the impasse eased and the convoy was allowed to proceed. The accused are now expected to be produced before a Delhi court for further proceedings.
The episode has sparked political reactions, with Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur criticising the state government and Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu accusing Delhi Police of procedural lapses. Police invoked charges under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita in connection with the protest. With both sides alleging obstruction, the incident has raised questions over coordination and protocol in interstate police operations.