On February 20, about 10-12 Indian Youth Congress workers staged a shirtless protest at the India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi. They entered the Bharat Mandapam with valid QR entry passes and then took off their shirts to display protest slogans. Eyewitnesses responded to the incident.
Another eyewitness, Sheetal, said, “This is not a platform to hold such a protest. This is an AI summit. People from India and abroad are participating. Big companies have come. AI is being built for India and its future. What do they want to prove with such a protest?”
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“Whatever is happening here is building India. AI is the next future of India. People should understand the value of this platform. They should not be protesting like this here,” she added.
Sumit Patni, another witness, says, “As a visitor, I feel that this is not the right place to hold such a protest. It gives a bad image to the country. So many international delegates have come here. We are talking about AI. There are places where you can go and protest.”
“I strongly disagree with this act. This is an AI impact summit and it is no place to gain political mileage. Criticism is fine but such acts damage India’s image globally,” a social media user wrote.
An eyewitness named Kabir told ANI, “It is not very clear. It was written, ‘Our Prime Minister has compromised.’ Sloganeering was going on. Then these people ran away as soon as the security arrived. The police chased them.”
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Jeet Vijay, former CEO – MeitY Startup Hub said, “We are a democratic country where we respect different opinions but there is always a place for protest. Politics should stay away from here as it affects the image of the country.”
“Do they really think they will insult national aspirations like this and people will warm to them? It has the exact opposite effect. But then it will be too much to expect these people to understand when their leader never misses a chance to ridicule the Indian government and the PM abroad. We really deserve a better opposition,” another user wrote.
BJP statement
Meanwhile, the BJP posted its reaction on social media, calling it a “National Shame”.
“Under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi, Congress workers went without at the top and created a ruckus on the ground, an act clearly designed to embarrass India on the world stage,” it wrote.
“When a nation is trying to position itself as a global technological powerhouse, such behavior only serves the interests of those who want India to falter. Political opposition is a democratic right, but sabotaging India’s global image is not. India deserves better,” he added.
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“What the Congress party attempted today was a staged and direct attack on the growing achievements, aspirations and ambitions of Young India,” wrote Tejasvi Surya on Twitter (now X).
“At a time when the world is recognizing India’s leadership in artificial intelligence, it is very unfortunate that the Congress party has chosen this platform to protest against the government. This is not opposition, this is anarchism,” added the BJP MP from Bengaluru South.
BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said: “Congress has again proved that for them AI is not Ambitious India, Artificial Intelligence, Aspirational India. For them AI is anti-India. This is not INC, this is ANC, anti-National Congress.”