What Action Was Taken Against 'Shirtless' Youth Congress Protesters At AI Summit?

The Congress party has come at the receiving end of the backlash from the ruling BJP, after members of the Indian Youth Congress staged a shirtless protest during the AI Impact Summit at Bharat Mandapam in Delhi on Friday.

Several BJP leaders, including Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, hit out at the Congress party over the incident, calling the act “shameful” and an attempt to “tarnish” India’s reputation on the global stage.

“The shameful manner in which Youth Congress workers created a ruckus at the (AI Impact Summit) venue by indulging in inappropriate behaviour was not only unfortunate but also an attempt to tarnish India’s reputation on the international stage. I condemn this act of the Congress,” Defence Minister Rajnath Singh wrote on X in Hindi.

According to reports, four activists, including National Secretaries Krishna Hari and Kundan Yadav from Bihar, National Coordinator Narasimha Yadav from Telangana and Eastern UP Vice President Ajay Kumar, were detained by the police.

According to police, the protestors had registered online and entered the venue by scanning the QR code.

“They were wearing sweaters on top and a T-shirt underneath. Near Hall 5, they removed their sweaters and jackets. They protested, waving their T-shirts,” Additional Commissioner of Police Devesh Kumar Mahla said.

Meanwhile, the Congress party has defended the protest. IYC national president Uday Bhanu Chib said in a statement, “Peaceful protest is our right in a democracy, and we will continue to raise the voice of the youth.” He also claimed that the organisation was not against the AI Summit but against “any compromise with India’s interests”.