New Delhi– A major political confrontation broke out on Thursday after members of the Indian Youth Congress (IYC) staged a shirtless protest at Bharat Mandapam, the venue for the prestigious India AI Impact Summit. The demonstration, which occurred as global tech leaders and heads of state gathered in the capital, was met with sharp condemnation from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), sparking a heated war of words.
Visuals of the topless protesters being detained by the Delhi Police went viral, leading senior Union Ministers to accuse the Congress party of intentionally “humiliating” India on the international stage.
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Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal led the charge, questioning if such demonstrations were sanctioned by Rahul Gandhi. “This is Congress arrogance and frustration on display!” Goyal posted on X. He further alleged that the opposition was attempting to “choke India’s growth” by embarrassing the nation while it hosts a landmark summit that has already set multiple Guinness World Records.
Other senior leaders echoed these sentiments:
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G. Kishan Reddy (Coal Minister): Criticized the party for choosing “confrontation over composure,” stating that the acts reflected poorly on India before a global audience.
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Pralhad Joshi (Food Minister): Labeled the conduct “shameful” and suggested that when a party lacks vision, “drama becomes the default strategy.”
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Hashtag Campaign: Government supporters and ministers intensified their criticism using the hashtag #RahulShamesIndia.
The Protest and Its Organizers
The agitation was reportedly organized by Narsimha Yadav, a prominent Youth Congress leader. While the specific grievances of the protesters at the summit venue were not immediately detailed in the government’s rebuttal, the BJP was quick to share images of Yadav with Rahul Gandhi to link the top leadership to the “theatrics.”
Government leaders argued that while dissent is a democratic right, staging shirtless protests at a high-level diplomatic and technological summit undermines the national interest. As of Thursday evening, the Congress leadership had not issued a formal response to the “joker” and “national shame” labels used by the Union Ministers.
