New Delhi (PTI): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday hit out at the government over the arrest of Youth Congress president Uday Bhanu Chib and other IYC members, saying it is reflective of "dictatorial tendencies and cowardice".

Gandhi said he is proud of his fellow members of the Youth Congress, who have fearlessly raised their voices in national interest against the "compromised PM".

In a post in Hindi on X, Gandhi said peaceful protest is the Congress' historical heritage.

"It is in our blood and a democratic right of every Indian," the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha said.

Gandhi alleged that national interests have been compromised in the trade deal with the United States.

This agreement will harm our farmers and textile industry and hand over our data to the US, he claimed.

"The arrest of Youth Congress President Uday Bhanu Chib and other IYC members for exposing this truth to the nation is reflective of dictatorial tendencies and cowardice," Gandhi said.

"The Congress Party and I stand firmly with our fellow members. Showing the mirror of truth to power is not a crime, it is patriotism. Don't be afraid - the truth and the Constitution are with us," Gandhi said, using the hashtag 'I Stand With Youth Congress'.

Chib was arrested by Delhi Police in connection with the shirtless protest staged by a group of youth wing members at the AI Impact Summit here last week, officials said on Tuesday.

Police have also stepped up security across key locations in the capital in anticipation of possible protests following Chib's arrest, which took the total number of people held in the case to eight.

On Friday, a group of IYC workers staged a dramatic protest inside Hall No. 5 of the summit venue by removing their shirts to reveal T-shirts printed with slogans against the government and the India-US interim trade deal, before being whisked away by security personnel.

Police said the accused had registered online and obtained QR codes to gain entry into the venue.

The incident triggered a political slugfest, with the BJP calling it a "shameful act to tarnish India's image on the global stage", and the IYC defending it as a "peaceful" demonstration aimed at safeguarding national interests.

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Mangaluru: A 37-year-old woman is reported to have lost Rs 19.06 lakh in an incident of online fraud, where she downloaded a mobile phone application and invested money through it for two years.

Mangaluru CEN Crime Police have filed a case and are investigating the matter.

The woman, on receiving a message with an advertisement for investment opportunities, is said to have searched for the website and downloaded an APK file from there. She registered through the application and provided details related to her bank account. The application reportedly provided her with details about various companies, which prompted her to invest her money.

The application is learned to have asked for Rs 1 lakh as minimum investment, but did not set a maximum limit of investment. The woman went by the rules and investment up to Rs 19.06 lakh in phases, starting January 2024.

As she received partial returns of maximum Rs 1 lakh till January this year, the woman trusted the application further, as regards investment. Later, however, she reportedly found her bank account to be blocked.

On enquiring with the bank, she realized that she had been duped of her money and approached Mangaluru CEN Crime Police, who registered a case based on her complaint and are probing the incident.