A row erupted on Friday after Indian Youth Congress (IYC) workers staged a shirtless protest on the final day of the five-day India AI Impact Summit 2026 at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi.
Protest details and police action
Police have arrested the group of Indian Youth Congress workers who staged a shirtless protest with provocative banners and raised slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. They were detained and taken to a police station, IANS reported.
Police officials said legal action is being initiated against the protesters for allegedly trespassing into the complex and endangering the security of foreign delegates, IANS reported.
Youth Congress defence amid backlash
In a statement, the Youth Congress acknowledged that its members had demonstrated outside the venue, saying the protest was meant to oppose what it called the government’s “prioritising of corporate interests over national interests.”
BJP’s fiery response to youth Congress shirtless protest
Following the protest, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) launched a scathing attack on the Congress, terming the Youth Congress demonstration a “characterless, brainless, emotionless” protest. The party said the protest was not against the BJP or the Prime Minister but against India’s achievements.
In a post on X, BJP National Spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla alleged that the Congress was protesting at Rahul Gandhi’s behest.
“Congress has once again proven that for them, AI isn’t Ambitious India, Artificial Intelligence, Aspirational India. For them, AI is anti-India. This isn’t the INC, this is the ANC, the anti-National Congress. The AI Summit is being praised worldwide. From President Macron to the United Nations Secretary General, to top tech company honchos, from Sam Altman to Sundar Pichai, everyone is praising it. Even Shashi Tharoor said the AI Summit was excellent. But at Rahul Gandhi’s behest, the Congress party is protesting; it is a characterless, brainless, emotionless protest. This isn’t a protest against the BJP, it’s not a protest against the PM, it’s a protest against India’s achievements,” Poonawalla said.
Sharing similar sentiments, BJP National Spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari said that just as an anti-national person feels uncomfortable, irritated, and jealous of the country’s prestige, the Gandhi-Vadra family instructed Congress workers in the same way, leading to what he called an anti-national act.
Bhandari added that the Congress party has once again proven its hatred for the country and said that if Rahul Gandhi has even one per cent of patriotism, he should apologise to the nation.
“The Congress Party has committed an anti-national act. This was the World AI Summit, led by India. It wasn’t a personal political forum. Just as an anti-national person feels uncomfortable, irritated, and jealous of the country’s prestige, the Gandhi-Vadra family instructed their Congress workers in the same way and committed this anti-national act…Today, the Congress party has once again proven its hatred for the country. If even one per cent of patriotism remains in Rahul Gandhi and the Gandhi-Vadra family, they should appear before the nation today, and they should apologise to the nation,” Bhandari said.
What is the India AI Impact Summit?
The India AI Impact Summit is a five-day event built around three pillars: People, Planet, and Progress. It brings together policymakers, technology firms, innovators, academics, and industry leaders to transform global AI discussions into actionable outcomes under the India AI Mission and Digital India initiative.
