Tensions boiled over between Delhi and Himachal Pradesh police forces when state officers took at least 20 Delhi personnel into custody during an arrest operation targeting Youth Congress activists. The Wednesday showdown stemmed from protests at New Delhi’s AI Summit, where young leaders staged a bold shirtless demonstration.
Details emerged that a Delhi squad arrived unannounced in Rohru, Shimla district, to nab three key Youth Congress figures implicated in the summit unrest. With arrests made, the team headed back but hit a roadblock near Dharampur in Solan, where Himachal police had established checkpoints based on prior alerts from Shimla authorities.
All involved parties were swiftly moved to Shimla for judicial oversight. Superintendent Tirumalaraju SD Verma briefed the media, explaining the coordinated effort to ensure legal compliance in cross-border arrests. The move underscores Himachal’s firm stance on procedural propriety.
Political backlash was immediate and fierce. Congress legislator Kuldeep Singh Rathore condemned the state for siding against Delhi Police, urging legal repercussions for the alleged intrusions without warrants. He framed the arrests as a blatant bid to muzzle opposition youth amid national events.
In scathing remarks, Rathore targeted the central government, declaring India no private fiefdom. He stressed opposition’s vital role in voicing citizen grievances as regimes rise and fall. The AI Summit protest, he claimed, was deliberately hyped to justify crackdowns on free expression.
As legal battles loom, this custody clash exposes fragile fault lines in India’s federal policing framework. Observers worry it could set precedents complicating future inter-state operations, while reigniting conversations on balancing security with democratic dissent.