Youth Congress workers arrested for staging shirtless protest at AI Impact Summit expo hall

New Delhi: A group of Youth Congress activists on Friday staged a surprise protest at the ‘India AI Impact Summit’ against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, calling him “compromised” while referring to the India-US trade deal, which they claimed was detrimental to the interest of the country.

Four of the activists -- National Secretaries Krishna Hari and Kundan Yadav from Bihar, National Coordinator Narasimha Yadav from Telangana and Eastern UP Vice President Ajay Kumar -- were arrested by police. Youth Congress president Uday Bhanu Chib was also questioned by the police.

Around a dozen Youth Congress activists gained entry to the Bharat Mandapam by registering online and staged the protest at around 12:30 pm, which BJP Vice President Baijayant Panda described as “anti-national”. Youth Congress president Uday Bhanu Chib defended the protest by “Rahul Gandhi's soldiers”, saying they cannot remain silent when the PM is “compromised”.

Additional Commissioner of Police Devesh Kumar Mahla said the protesters had registered online and entered after 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,” he said.

As the BJP alleged that the protest brought bad name for the country and that it was done at the behest of Rahul, Congress Media and Publicity Department Chairman Pawan Khera defended the Youth Congress and said, "you cannot hold a protest in basement but where people gather."

Taking those present at the venue by surprise, the Youth Congress activists removed their jackets and waved the T-shirts. Some people at the venue tried to snatch the T-shirts from the protesters, who were shouting slogans. Soon, security personnel took the protesters out and police took some of them into custody.

Panda posted on 'X', “Congress has repeatedly proved that in its obsession with targeting PM Modi, they have no compunction in demeaning India itself. Today it threw away all semblance of decorum at a cutting-edge global event in India. This is not opposition, it is irresponsibly anti-national. Bharat deserves a proper opposition, not a bunch of dements led by a buffoon.”

Chib said they have made it clear through the protest that the youth of the country will no longer remain silent, as “the PM is compromised is not just a slogan, but the anger of millions of unemployed youth”.

"This trade deal with the US is a betrayal of the interests of our farmers and the public, which will only benefit the US. Peaceful protest is our right in a democracy, and we will continue to raise the voice of the youth," he said, adding that they were not against the AI Summit.

"We are against any compromise with India's interests. When the country's farmers are being compromised, anti-India trade agreements are being signed, and youth are being pushed into hate politics while keeping them unemployed, should we remain silent? If the PM is compromised, it does not mean that the public should remain silent. If we know how to follow the path shown by Mahatma Gandhi ji, we also know how to follow the path shown by Sardar Bhagat Singh," he said.

Asked about police action, he said Youth Congress workers are "Rahul Gandhi's soldiers" and they would not be intimidated. "BJP can go to any lengths, but we are soldiers of the Constitution, soldiers of Rahul Gandhi. We won't back down. We will raise our voice for the youth of the country," he added.