The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has reacted strongly to the shirtless protest by the workers of the Indian Youth Congress at the AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi on Friday. A group of Youth Congress workers on day 5 of the AI Summit entered the venue at Bharat Mandapam and were seen carrying or wearing T-shirts with slogans against the PM, India-US trade deal and Epstein files. Follow AI summit updates
The BJP termed the incident as ‘national shame’ and said that the Congress party's ‘topless’ protest under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi is an act designed to embarrass India on the world stage.
“At a time when India is hosting a prestigious global AI Summit, showcasing its innovation and leadership in technology, the Congress party chose disruption over dignity.” the BJP wrote on X.
BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla hit out at the Congress as he dubbed the protests as “characterless, brainless, and emotionless", and accused the Congress of undermining national progress.
{{/usCountry}}BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla hit out at the Congress as he dubbed the protests as “characterless, brainless, and emotionless", and accused the Congress of undermining national progress.
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He alleged the protest was staged at the ‘behest’ of Rahul Gandhi and is a protest against India's achievements.
"Congress has once again proven that for them, AI isn't Ambitious India, Artificial Intelligence, Aspirational India. For them, AI is anti-India. This isn't the INC, this is the ANC, the anti-National Congress. The AI Summit is being praised worldwide. From President Macron to the United Nations Secretary General, to top tech company honchos, from Sam Altman to Sundar Pichai, everyone is praising it. Even Shashi Tharoor said the AI Summit was excellent," Poonawalla was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
He added, “But, at Rahul Gandhi's behest, the Congress party is protesting; it is a characterless, brainless, emotionless protest. This isn't a protest against the BJP, it's not a protest against the PM, it's a protest against India's achievements.”
‘Attempting to embarrass 140 crore Indians’
Commerce minister Piyush Goyal also trained his guns at Gandhi and said that the protest was an attempt to embarrass 140 crore Indians globally.
“This is CONGRESS ARROGANCE & FRUSTRATION on display! So, Mr. Rahul Gandhi, humiliating India to target the Government is your idea of opposition!,” Goyal wrote on X, and added, “While you want to CHOKE India's development by peddling lies about the recent trade deals, your foot soldiers are marching shirtless at the prestigious AI Summit, attempting to embarrass 140 crore Indians globally.”
‘Rahul Gandhi hates India’
BJP leader Pradeep Bhandari also targeted Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, as he termed the protest as ‘naked protest’. He shared an old photo of Gandhi with Narsimha Yadav, alleging that it was Yadav who organised the AI Summit protest. “Rahul Gandhi along with Narsimha Yadav who organized today’s naked protest at AI Summit! Make no mistake Rahul Gandhi called Youth Congress Workers to discredit India! Rahul Gandhi hates India! Congress is Anti India Party! (sic),” Bhandari wrote on X.
Kiren Rijiju's dig at Congress
Parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju took a potshot at the Congress over the AI summit protest and said the party has become a national shame.
Following the shirtless protest by Youth Congress workers at AI Impact Summit, the party defended the workers saying the demonstration reflected the anger of unemployed youth across the country. "Our Youth Congress colleagues are Rahul Gandhi's soldiers. They won't be intimidated. When there wasn't an FIR against Rahul Gandhi, the ED case dragged on for so many years. He was summoned for questioning so many times," Indian Youth Congress National President Uday Bhanu Chib told news agency ANI.
How did the IYC members enter the AI Summit venue?
The Delhi Police have initiated legal action against the Youth Congress members who were protesting 'shirtless' at the Bharat Manadapam on Friday. The cops also explained how the protestors gained entry into the venue.
Additional Commissioner of Police Devesh Mahla said the incident occurred around 12:30 pm and that the protestors had registered online for the summit.
He said the protestors were wearing sweaters and jackets over objectionable T-shirts. Near Hall Number 5, one of them removed his outer clothing and waved the T-shirt in protest. The official added that appropriate legal action is being taken and that those detained are being identified.