A group of Youth Congress workers staged a 'shirtless protest' at the India AI Impact Summit on Friday, chanting slogans against the Narendra Modi government and the India-US trade deal. The protest, which took place inside Exhibition Hall No. 5 at the Bharat Mandapam, caught the guests and other visitors by surprise.
The incident has sparked a firestorm of political reactions, with the BJP accusing the opposition party of tarnishing India’s global reputation. On Saturday, BJP Yuva Morcha (BJYM) members held protests across various cities, raising slogans against Congress.
"The Indian Youth Congress workers carried out a very shameful incident yesterday. For Rahul Gandhi, AI means anti-India. This protest sends a very wrong signal to the world. Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party should apologise to the nation," a Yuva Morcha member was quoted as saying by ANI.
In Mumbai, BJP workers waved black flags against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who had arrived in the city and later traveled to Bhiwandi in neighbouring Thane district to appear before a court in a 2014 defamation case.
"Rahul Gandhi constantly opposes whatever the prime minister does, even when it concerns national interests. The Youth Congress protest at the AI Summit maligned India’s image, and that's why we protested against him," a BJP supporter told PTI.
Earlier, BJP President Nitin Nabin condemned the protest, accusing certain political parties of aligning with "urban Naxalism".
"We often use the term 'urban Naxalism.' I can say that while earlier some parties were (merely) affected by it, today they have completely become a part of it," Nabin said. "While India is being discussed globally, such a disgraceful act has harmed the country’s progress," he added.
BJP leader and former Union Minister Smriti Irani also criticised the protest, questioning whether the Congress party was acting at Rahul Gandhi's behest to undermine India's interests. She accused Congress of using a global platform to embarrass the nation.
"This was not a protest, political in nature. This was an attack on India's interests. The Congress Party workers who came to attack the interests of India today at the AI Summit have brought it much disgrace, have exhibited a contempt for the people of India and for the entrepreneurial spirit of India," she told ANI.
Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant criticised Rahul Gandhi over the Youth Congress protest at the AI Summit in Delhi, calling the actions "political recklessness" that harm the country's reputation.
In a post on X, Sawant emphasised that while India was hosting a global summit to showcase its technological prowess and confidence, the protest turned the event into a "stage for disruption," undermining the nation's credibility on the world stage.
"Such theatrics tarnish India's image, distract from the work of our scientists, startups, and youth, and weaken our credibility internationally," Sawant said.
K.T. Rama Rao, the Working President of BRS, also joined the controversy, stating that using global platforms like the AI Summit for protests could tarnish India’s international image.
“It is ironic that the Youth Congress staged their protest precisely when Telangana Chief Minister K. Revanth Reddy was addressing the same AI Summit,” Rao posted on X. He added that while differences of opinion are natural in a democracy, knowing when and where to protest is crucial.