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Congress Backs Youth Wing’s Topless AI Summit Protest, Escalates Clash With BJP Over Dissent and India’s Global Image

Edited by IndianRepublic.in - Location: New Delhi, Delhi, India

A day after a brief shirtless protest disrupted the India AI Impact Summit 2026 at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, the Indian National Congress has publicly backed the demonstrators and escalated a political confrontation over the limits of protest at high-profile international events and the substance of India’s trade policy.

Congress Backs Youth Wing’s Shirtless AI Summit Protest, Escalates Clash With BJP Over Dissent and India’s Global Image
Protest Screengrab; Via: Ranoj Pegu
On February 20, a group of 10 to 15 young men linked to the Indian Youth Congress (IYC), the youth wing of the Congress party, entered Hall No. 5 of the summit venue using valid entry passes or QR codes, according to police statements. 

Inside the exhibition hall, they removed white T-shirts printed with red graphics featuring Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s face and the words “PM IS COMPROMISED,” held them aloft like placards and chanted slogans targeting the Prime Minister and his government. 

Video footage circulating online showed the protesters, mostly in their 20s and 30s, bare-chested or stripping off their shirts, raising fists and shouting slogans referencing unemployment, inflation, corporate influence and the India–US trade framework. Security personnel intervened within minutes, escorting the protesters out. 

Delhi Police said several individuals were detained and legal action was being pursued for disrupting the event. The summit, attended by global technology leaders and government officials, was positioned as a showcase of India’s ambitions in artificial intelligence and digital innovation. 

The disruption lasted less than ten minutes but unfolded in a prominent exhibition space under large summit backdrops, and drew immediate attention on social media and television.

In the hours that followed, senior Congress leaders endorsed the protest and repeated its central allegation that the Prime Minister was “compromised.” Rahul Gandhi posted on X: “The PM is compromised. His betrayal now stands exposed. He can’t renegotiate. He will surrender again.” Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate wrote, “There is a time and place for protest… The Time is NOW. The Place is EVERYWHERE. Especially when India’s interests are undermined by a COMPROMISED PM. Make your peace with it!” 

In another post, she said, “युवा कांग्रेस के साथी निडर हैं, देश के युवाओं की आवाज़ हैं,” asserting that Youth Congress members had raised their voice “against a compromised Prime Minister” in defence of farmers, youth and “energy security,” and opposing what she described as a trade deal that would “destroy the country.”

The official Congress account described it as “a peaceful protest,” stating that “When Power Refuses to Listen, the Youth Rise,” and argued that the anger was not limited to Youth Congress members but reflected broader frustration over unemployment and trade policy. The party’s social media posts questioned whether concerns about “the country’s image” were selective, and said “विरोध लोकतांत्रिक हक है,” describing protest as a democratic right.

Pawan Khera, Chairman of the Congress Media & Publicity Department, linked the protest to ongoing trade negotiations, writing that “Trade negotiations follow a basic rule: the side that blinks first loses leverage,” and asserting that with the US Supreme Court curbing tariff powers under IEEPA, “America’s negotiating power has weakened,” which he said could have given India a stronger bargaining position. He described the government’s approach as “a rushed surrender” and repeated the phrase “THE PM IS COMPROMISED.”

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) strongly condemned both the protest and the Congress leadership’s support. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh wrote that “the unruly conduct of Youth Congress workers at the venue was deeply unfortunate and reflects a disregard for the dignity of an event of international significance,” adding that “Political differences are natural in a democracy, but they must never come at the cost of the country’s honour.” 

Union Minister Kiren Rijiju said he had expected an apology and instead heard Congress leaders “defended the disgraceful conduct,” and called it a “National Shame.”

Delhi Police, seeking five days’ remand for four arrested individuals identified as Krishna Hari, Kundan Yadav, Ajay Kumar and Narasimha Yadav, told a court that the protest was “a conspiracy to defame the country internationally.” 

According to quotes reported by Hindustan Times, police alleged that anti-national slogans were raised in the presence of international leaders and that custody was required to identify other accused who fled, recover mobile phones and investigate possible funding. Police also said three policemen were injured.

Counsel for the accused told the court that the protest was peaceful and that “no videos showed any violence,” arguing that the FIR was “nothing more than a political move.” 

The defence submitted that the accused were educated, associated with a political party and exercising their right to protest. “Political dissent shouldn’t be crushed like this. It was a peaceful protest,” the lawyer argued while moving bail applications.

The episode has triggered a wider debate online about the appropriateness of protests at international events. Some commentators criticised the protest as “silly” and “ridiculous” at what they described as “the nation’s summit,” while others argued that protests at global forums are not unusual, citing examples of demonstrations at technology conferences and sporting events abroad. 

Congress supporters and some independent commentators said public protest at visible venues is intrinsic to democratic expression but critics strictly maintained that such actions risk damaging India’s international image at a time when it seeks to project technological leadership.

At the centre of the dispute is not only the optics of a shirtless demonstration at a global AI summit, but also competing narratives about trade negotiations, unemployment and executive decision-making. 

The Congress leadership has chosen to frame the protest as a legitimate and symbolic act of dissent against what it calls a flawed trade approach and a “compromised” Prime Minister. The BJP has framed it as a deliberate attempt to embarrass India on the world stage.

With police investigations ongoing and the political rhetoric intensifying, the incident has moved beyond a brief disruption inside a conference hall into a broader argument about protest, patriotism and the boundaries of democratic dissent in an era of high-stakes global engagement.

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Topless Men Mount Reckless Protest at India’s International AI Gathering; Several Detained, Security Beefed Up

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