Delhi Police detain five for raising anti-Xi slogans near Bharat Mandapam

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Tibetan community members stage a protest march against the visit of China’s President Xi Jinping for the BRICS Summit 2026, in New Delhi, Friday (September 11, 2026). | Photo Credit: PTI

The Tibetan community on Friday (September 11, 2026) voiced its opposition to Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to India for the BRICS Summit , to be held at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi on September 12 and 13, with protests at different locations in the city.

Around 7:30 a.m., three members of the Students for Free Tibet (SFT) climbed poles inside an underpass near Bharat Mandapam. They waved the Tibetan flag and flags with slogans such as "Xi Jinping=Genocide" and "Tibet is facing ecocide: Free Tibet".

They were identified as Karma Dolma (24), Tenzin Nordon (23), Tenzin Tsephal (26). “This banner action was carried out by the Students for Free Tibet to condemn Xi Jinping’s visit to India. We challenge Beijing’s narrative on multilateral cooperation and urge BRICS leaders to confront China’s illegal occupation of Tibet which has led to its control over Asia’s major river systems, systemic human rights violations and expanding border aggression,” said Tenzin Passang, national director, SFT.

The three students were placed under preventive detention until September 14 and taken to Tihar jail. Two others -- Harshit, a student, and Kasang, a media person with Tibet Radio -- were also detained by the Delhi Police while allegedly taking pictures of the incident.

Later, around 10 a.m., a peaceful protest was also conducted at Majnu Ka Tila in north Delhi condemning the Chinese President’s visit to India. The protest attracted scores of Tibetans from Delhi and States such as Karnataka, Odisha, and Himachal Pradesh.

“We are not against BRICS Summit and we congratulate India for hosting it. However, we want to say that Xi Jinping is not welcome here. For decades, China has outrageously violated the human rights of Tibetan people through its state-sanctioned violence and environmental tragedies caused by uncontrolled engineering on the Tibetan plateau. With its Ethnic Unity and Progress law, China has tried to legitimise the suppression of Tibetan language, culture and religion,” said Acharya Yeshi Phuntsok, former deputy speaker of the Tibetan Parliament-in-exile.

The protest started with the singing of the Tibetan national anthem Gyallu , followed by speakers who addressed the gathering. “The Ethnic Unity law has further intensified the marginalisation of Tibetans’ distinct cultural identity. Tibetan martyr Lobga Rangzen self-immolated before the United Nations Headquarters after it was imposed on July 1, 2026, for the cause of Tibet, which is a tragic reminder of China’s repression. So far, around 170 people have self-immolated in protest,” said Tenzin Lobsang, general secretary, Tibetan Youth Congress.

Tsering Wangmo, a vendor from Himachal Pradesh, said that for generations, the Chinese government has been carrying out major violations of human rights of Tibetan people.