Delhi-Himachal Police Standoff Ends in Activists' Remand

A tense standoff between Delhi Police and Himachal Pradesh Police unfolded over two days, culminating in the release of three arrested Indian Youth Congress activists to Delhi authorities after a local court granted transit remand. The confrontation, which began on Wednesday morning in Shimla district and extended into Thursday on the Chandigarh-Shimla highway, stemmed from allegations of procedural violations during the arrests linked to a protest at the India AI Impact Summit.

On Wednesday, a team of about 15 to 20 Delhi Police personnel in plain clothes arrived at a resort in the Chirgaon area of Rohru subdivision, where the three activists—identified as Saurabh, Siddharth, and Arbaz—were staying. The officers arrested them in connection with a February 20 demonstration at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, where participants, including Youth Congress members, staged a shirtless protest. They shouted slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and displayed placards accusing him of being compromised, prompting charges of rioting and promoting enmity under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

Delhi Police described the action as part of an investigation into what they called a preplanned...