Parties and political leaders across the country sharply criticise Congress for their shameful behaviour at the AI Summit

What was meant to be a showcase of India’s growing ambitions in artificial intelligence turned into an avoidable political spectacle after a group of shirtless Indian Youth Congress (IYC) workers staged a disruptive protest inside the AI Impact Summit exhibition hall on Friday.

The incident, which involved protesters walking around with slogan-bearing T-shirts and images of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump, triggered chaos at the venue and drew sharp condemnation not just from the BJP, but from several opposition parties as well.

According to police, the protesters entered Exhibition Hall No. 5 and raised slogans linked to the India–US trade deal, the “Epstein Files”, and claims that the “PM is compromised”. Their actions led to heated exchanges with attendees before security personnel escorted them out. A senior police official confirmed that around four people were arrested and taken to Tilak Marg police station, adding that no breach of law and order would be tolerated at such a high-profile international event.

The BJP accused the Congress of deliberately creating a ruckus to sabotage India’s global image, alleging that the youth wing’s theatrics were carried out at the behest of former party chief Rahul Gandhi. The party argued that turning a global technology summit into a protest arena sent the wrong message to international delegates and investors.

However, the most striking aspect of the episode was the near-unanimous criticism from across the political spectrum. Leaders from the SP, TDP, BSP, YSR Congress and BRS publicly distanced themselves from the Congress’s actions and called the protest shameful and irresponsible.

SP supremo Akhilesh Yadav condemned the Youth Congress over its deplorable behavior. “Creating a ruckus is wrong; it insults our country in front of foreign delegates. When delegates from around the world have come, we should not create such a scene. I do not support this. Our fight with the government is an internal matter,” Yadav said.

TDP leader Lokesh Nara said he was “shocked and dismayed” by the disruption, stressing that the AI Summit was a global platform meant to showcase India’s leadership as an emerging AI superpower. “Turning such a prestigious international event into a political spectacle only diminishes our collective standing before the world. India deserves better. Let us rise above petty politics and focus on nation-building through innovation and excellence,” he wrote.

BSP chief Mayawati, in a strongly worded Hindi post, described the semi-nude protest by Congress youth workers as extremely indecent and condemnable. She pointed out that the summit had international attention and said such behaviour harmed the country’s dignity and image. Even if political differences exist, she argued, national prestige should not be compromised on a global platform.

YSR Congress Party president and former Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy echoed similar sentiments, saying the Youth Congress’s actions had made the country feel ashamed.

“Where is our politics heading! No one should ever demean our country. Whatever our political differences may be, we should always present a united face to the world,” he said.

BRS leader K.T. Rama Rao (KTR) was even more scathing, calling the incident “absolutely deplorable” and accusing the Youth Congress of indulging in petty political theatrics at the cost of India’s international image. He underlined that while dissent is natural in a democracy, there is a time and place for protest and an international summit is certainly not one of them.

KTR also pointed out the irony that the protest took place when Congress’s own chief minister, Revanth Reddy, was addressing the same AI Summit.

For its part, the Indian Youth Congress attempted to justify the disruption by posting a video of the protest and claiming that all other avenues of dissent had been shut. The organisation argued that media, institutions and even social media platforms were “compromised,” leaving them with no option but to raise their voice inside the summit. It claimed it was not opposing the AI Summit per se, but what it described as “compromises” on India’s interests, farmers and youth.

Yet, the reaction from across the political spectrum suggests the Congress badly misread the mood. Instead of rallying political parties against the Centre, the stunt ended up uniting them against the Congress itself. The broad-based criticism underscores a rare consensus: that international platforms meant to project India’s technological and economic aspirations should not be turned into arenas for domestic political grandstanding.

In trying to grab headlines, the Youth Congress may have succeeded but at the cost of isolating its own party and reinforcing the charge that political theatrics are increasingly taking precedence over responsible opposition. The entire episode underscores the waning relevance of the Congress party, which is now resorting to desperate antics to project its political significance and manipulate public opinion with despicable theatrics.

Written by OpIndia Staff
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