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NEW DELHI: BJP staged protests in multiple cities on Saturday following a shirtless protest by Indian Youth Congress (IYC) workers at the India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi.BJP workers in Mumbai showed black flags to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. 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.Video from the incident showed them shouting, “Rahul Gandhi haye haye.”Protests were also held in Jaipur, Jammu, and Surat targeting the Congress party. BJP’s Yuva Morcha held a protest in New Delhi. A Yuva Morcha worker said, “The Indian Youth Congress workers carried out a very shameful incident yesterday…For Rahul Gandhi, AI means anti-India…This protest sends a very wrong signal to the world…Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party should apologise to the nation,” as quoted by ANI. BJP MP Manoj Tiwari said, “The people of the country are not going to forgive the Congress for this act…People from more than 80 countries came to the AI Summit, and everyone has wholeheartedly praised India’s efforts.”BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla added, “Congress party has shown that they are characterless, emotionless, brainless…The entire nation is showing them black flags due to this act…Even their alliance partners are showing them red flags…Congress is anti-national.”
More IYC leaders arrested
Four Indian Youth Congress leaders—Krishna Hari, Kundan Yadav, Ajay Kumar, and Narasimha Yadav—were arrested in connection with the protest and brought to Patiala House Court, where heavy security was deployed. Officials said the detainees are being identified and that appropriate legal action is being taken.The alleged offences carry a punishment of up to seven years. The accused’s lawyer argued that they are affiliated with a political party and claimed the FIR is politically motivated. He also noted that the accused are educated and hold degrees.Police stated that anti-national slogans were raised in the presence of international leaders and other prominent figures. They added that custody is required to apprehend other accused who fled, investigate the involvement of the arrested leaders, and recover their mobile phones to verify potential funding. Police also said three officers were injured during the incident.
What happened at the AI Summit?
On Friday, members of the Indian Youth Congress tricked their way into Bharat Mandapam and briefly raised slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The protesters entered the venue wearing or holding white T-shirts with images of Prime Minister Modi and US President Donald Trump, along with slogans such as “India-US Trade Deal” and “PM is compromised,” leading to heated exchanges with attendees. Around 10 protesters were detained Friday. The Indian Youth Congress defended the protest, calling it the “voice of millions of angry unemployed youth” aimed at the “compromised” Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The youth wing added that they are “not against the AI Summit” and “will no longer sit quietly.”The “topless” nature of the protest drew sharp reactions, with BJP leaders accusing the Congress and Rahul Gandhi of orchestrating the disruption. The BJP also called the protest a “topless, brainless and shameless” ruckus and alleged it was planned at Rahul Gandhi’s residence.
