Delhi court sends four Indian Youth Congress workers to five-day police custody after protest at AI Impact Summit.
Police allege anti-national slogans, objectionable PM Modi T-shirts, and attempt to obstruct officers injuring three personnel.
Accused claim peaceful democratic protest; defence argues arrest harms democracy and questions selective action.
A Delhi court has remanded four Indian Youth Congress workers to five days in police custody after their arrest for protesting at an AI Impact Summit venue.
According to PTI, Judicial Magistrate Ravi granted the Delhi Police's request for custodial interrogation of the accused on Saturday. A detailed order is awaited.
The arrested individuals were Krishna Hari, national secretary of Youth Congress from Bihar; Kundan Yadav, IYC state secretary, Bihar; Ajay Kumar, IYC state president, Uttar Pradesh; and Narasimha Yadav from Telangana.
PTI reported that Delhi Police sought the five-day custody, stating that the protesters raised anti-national slogans and wore T-shirts with objectionable images of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the event venue.
It said the mobile phones of the accused persons were required to be recovered and, as they were from different states, custodial interrogation was necessary.
Counsel for the police argued that it was a "serious" matter. An attempt was made to stop the police, following which three personnel were injured, he said.
Besides, the conspiracy behind organising the protest, the source of funding and where the T-shirts were printed needed to be ascertained, the counsel said.
Reported PTI, the counsel appearing for the arrested protesters argued that they were associated with a political party and had exercised their democratic right to protest peacefully.
The advocate claimed that their arrest greatly diminished the dignity of democracy and that if arrests are to be made for protesting, then MPs protesting in Parliament should also be arrested.
(With inputs from PTI)
