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new delhi: A half-naked protest by members of the Indian Youth Congress at the India AI Summit has drawn harsh criticism across political lines. Leaders of several political parties condemned the Congress, saying the action was inappropriate and brought India to shame on its international platform.
According to eyewitnesses, a group of Youth Congress workers staged a half-naked protest inside the expo grounds of the Bharat Mandapam on Friday. Demonstrators held T-shirts with images of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump and slogans targeting the government and raising concerns about the India-US trade deal.
The situation escalated rapidly, with witnesses reporting sloganeering, video displays and references to the India-US trade deal targeting the two leaders. A violent exchange reportedly occurred between protesters and participants before security intervened. Videos circulating on social media showed some demonstrators being manhandled during the commotion.
Witnesses said the protests were an attempt to tarnish India’s global image. Several participants acknowledged that political opposition is a hallmark of democracy, but argued that it was unfair to hold such demonstrations during the world summit they were hosting. India It was bad timing and inappropriate.
Senior BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi criticized the Congress, claiming that the party has a pattern of creating controversy during major international events. Citing the 2015 India-Africa Forum summit, he alleged that the Congress simultaneously supported the ‘Wapsi Awards’ campaign and amplified the discourse on intolerance. He also referred to the protests during the US presidential visit in 2020, including demonstrations at Shaheen Bagh and anti-government slogans raised in JNU. Naqvi further alleged that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi tried to portray India’s democracy and constitutional system in a negative light during the G20 summit.
Controversy immediately erupted when Youth Congress workers staged a brief protest inside the summit venue in New Delhi. Delhi Police said around 10 people were detained. The demonstrators reportedly took off their shirts and held up T-shirts with images of the prime minister and the US president, along with slogans criticizing the government and the India-US deal.
The FIR was registered under Section 61(2) of the People’s Congress of India (BNS) with charges of unlawful assembly, disobedience of public servant, assault on public servant and violation of prohibitory orders.
A court in Delhi later sent the four arrested members of the Youth Congress of India to police custody for five days. The accused: Krishna Hari, national secretary of Bihar Youth Congress. Kundan Yadav, State Secretary, IYC, Bihar. Mr. Ajay Kumar, IYC State Chairman from Uttar Pradesh. and Narasimha Yadav from Telangana were produced before Justice Ravi, who reserved the order before granting custody.
Delhi Police claimed that the protesters raised anti-national slogans and presented an unpleasant image of the Prime Minister. However, the defendants’ lawyers argued that they were exercising their democratic right to protest peacefully.
National BJP leader JP Nadda condemned the incident and accused certain political elements of being aligned with what he termed “urban Naxalism”. He said the country’s reputation had been tarnished by disrupting a global platform showcasing India’s advances in artificial intelligence.
Telugu Desam Party general secretary Nara Lokesh expressed shock over the confusion and said the AI summit was aimed at demonstrating India’s leadership in emerging technologies. He said turning such events into political spectacles tarnishes the image of the nation as a whole and distracts from innovation and nation-building.
Several alliance partners of the Indian bloc also criticized the Youth Congress’ move. Although they generally support the right to dissent, they expressed concern that choosing an international platform attended by world representatives and CEOs was inappropriate and could undermine India’s global standing.
BRS Secretary General KT Rama Rao said using international forums like the AI Summit for political demonstrations could have a negative impact on India’s image. He said that while dissent is natural in a democracy, the timing and venue of protests are equally important.
Former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy termed the incident shameful and called on political parties to present a unified face internationally despite domestic differences. In a social media post, he wrote that any political disagreement should not degrade the country in front of the world.
Meanwhile, several Congress leaders, including Pawan Khera, Gurdeep Singh Thapal and Supriya Srinath, defended the Youth Congress workers. Khera criticized Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and questioned why the protests were being portrayed negatively.
