BJP workers show black flags to Rahul Gandhi in Mumbai over AI summit protest

BJP supporters protested against Rahul Gandhi in Mumbai, waving black flags as a response to Congress's actions at the AI Summit.

Published on: Feb 21, 2026, 12:18:03 IST

PTIPosted by Yamini C S

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BJP workers staged a black-flag protest against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in Mumbai on Saturday, calling it a response to the Youth Congress's protest at the AI Summit.

BJP workers protested with black flags against Rahul Gandhi in Mumbai, claiming it was a response to a Youth Congress protest. (Representative image) (Sathiya)

Gandhi landed at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in the morning and travelled by road to Bhiwandi in neighbouring Thane district to appear before a court in the 2014 defamation case.

A group of BJP supporters staged a protest at Mulund toll naka and raised slogans against him.

ALSO READ | Defamation case: Rahul Gandhi records statement in court, next hearing on March 9

Speaking to reporters, protesters alleged that Gandhi consistently opposes the initiatives of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and accused him of tarnishing the country's image.

"Rahul Gandhi continuously opposes whatever the Prime Minister does. Even on issues concerning the nation. The Youth Congress workers raised slogans at the AI Summit, maligning India's image. That is why we protested against him," a BJP supporter said.

ALSO READ | Shirtless vs ‘shameless’: Congress protest at AI summit in Delhi ignites major row

The police had made elaborate security arrangements for Gandhi's visit to prevent any confrontation between workers of the ruling and Opposition parties.

Meanwhile, Congress leader Sachin Sawant termed the BJP protest as "an attempt to divert attention from key national issues".

Sawant accused the ruling party of resorting to theatrics as it had no answers for the public.

He questioned the reasons behind what he termed the BJP's "surrender" before US President Donald Trump and sought clarity on matters related to financier Jeffrey Epstein, saying the party owed an explanation to the people.

Sawant also alleged that the BJP had compromised the future of farmers in Maharashtra and the country by placing their interests at stake in the trade deal with the US.

ALSO READ | Smriti Irani's 'khisiyani billi' dig at Cong's shirtless protest at AI summit

The Nationalist Congress Party (SP) also hit out at the 'black flag' protest, calling it a "disrespectful" departure from democratic norms.

The party's Thane city chief, Manoj Pradhan, said, "Rahul Gandhi holds a constitutional post as the Leader of the Opposition in the country's highest house. It is fundamentally wrong to show black flags to him in such a manner. This is not how a democracy should function."

Gandhi raises the issues of common Indians; he is a patriot through and through, he said.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yamini C S
Yamini CS is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with nearly six years of experience in digital journalism. She is part of the India News desk, where she works on a wide range of stories cutting across civic issues, city-based developments, politics, governance, public policy, breaking news, trending topics, and international affairs that have an impact on India. Her role involves tracking fast-moving developments, verifying information from official and on-ground sources, and presenting news in a clear, accessible format for a digital-first audience. A significant part of her work includes handling live blogs during major news events, such as elections, court verdicts, political developments, civic disruptions, protests, weather-related alerts, and unfolding national or international incidents. Through live coverage, she focuses on timely updates to help readers follow complex stories as they evolve. Before moving to the broader India News desk, Yamini was associated with the Bengaluru desk at Hindustan Times, where she extensively covered urban governance, infrastructure, traffic and transport issues, weather events, public grievances, and civic administration in the city. This experience strengthened her grounding in city reporting and sharpened her focus on citizen-centric journalism. She began her career as a correspondent with Reuters after completing a postgraduate diploma in journalism from the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media. Her early training instilled a strong emphasis on accuracy, sourcing, and news ethics, which continue to shape her reporting style. Outside of work, Yamini enjoys reading across genres, listening to music, and spending time with her family, which help her maintain balance in a fast-paced newsroom environment.Read More

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