New Delhi: Several Indian Youth Congress workers staged a shirtless protest at Bharat Mandapam in Delhi on Friday, sloganeering against Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the AI Impact Summit. They alleged that the Prime Minister was “compromised”.
Around 10 people, claiming to be members of the Youth Congress, reportedly participated in the protest. “Four to five individuals have been taken into custody,” as per a police source. In a statement, the Youth Congress said that its cadre were demonstrating against a “compromised Prime Minister who has traded the identity of the country at the AI Summit”. Earlier, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge had also criticised the AI summit.
How BJP responded to the protest?
The protest has drawn flak from the Bharatiya Janata Party. BJP national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari hit out at the demonstration, accusing the Congress of disrupting an international event and calling for an apology. “Shame on Congress Party… they storm the international AI Summit! Anti-India Congress! Congress behaves like Urban Naxals,” Bhandari said.
Several BJP leaders also said that such a protest at an international event is an utter embarrassment for the country. They accused the Opposition of trying to politicise a global platform meant to showcase India’s technological advancement. Party leaders argued that internal political differences should not be aired in a manner that could undermine the country’s image abroad.
Amit Malviya, national head of the BJP’s IT cell, dubbed the protest as a “national shame”. Taking to X, he said, “At a time when India is hosting a prestigious global AI Summit, showcasing its innovation and leadership in technology, the Congress party chose disruption over dignity. Under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi, Congress workers went topless and created a ruckus at the venue, an act clearly designed to embarrass India on the world stage.”
The BJP leader added, “When the nation is striving to position itself as a global technology powerhouse, such conduct only serves the interests of those who wish to see India falter. Political opposition is a democratic right, but sabotaging India’s global image is not. India deserves better.”
How did Congress defend itself?
In response to the criticism, Uday Bhanu Chib, national president of the Indian Youth Congress, said, “Today, Youth Congress members went to the AI Summit and raised slogans, ‘PM is compromised.’ This anger isn’t just from our Youth Congress members. It’s from every young person who is unemployed today, and every single one of them knows that our Prime Minister is compromised. This trade deal with the US, we all know, will harm our farmers and people. Only America will benefit. It’s our duty to raise their voice. Our country has democracy. We can hold peaceful protests anywhere.”
Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera hit out at the government and Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. On X, Khera wrote, “Vaishnaw has proved that in India AI means ‘Ashwini is Incompetent.’” He said the summit was being reduced to a “cheap China Bazaar,” and referred to Prime Minister Modi as the “Pradhan (Tamasha) Mantri”. Khera alleged that the event had been turned into a publicity stunt instead of serving as a platform for innovation.