New Delhi: Chaos erupted at the prestigious India AI Impact Summit in Delhi’s Bharat Mandapam on Friday when four Indian Youth Congress (IYC) workers staged a dramatic shirtless protest, drawing sharp political fire and highlighting tensions over youth opportunities and governance.
Narsimha Yadav, National Coordinator of the Youth Congress from Telangana, was among those arrested by Delhi Police alongside Krishna Hari (National Secretary, Bihar), Kundan Yadav (State Secretary, Bihar), and Ajay Kumar (Provincial Vice-President, UP). The group, who had registered for the event, breached security, removed their T-shirts, waved banners, and raised slogans like “PM is Compromised” against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Congress leaders defended the action as a peaceful expression of youth frustration over suppressed opportunities and issues allegedly hidden for over a decade.
Senior Congress leader Pawan Khera posted on social media, describing it as tearing apart a metaphorical “advertisement” to reveal underlying cracks.
Gurdeep Sapal, another Congress figure, called it a democratic right, questioning why similar past BJP protests were not criticised for harming India’s image.
The international summit, attended by delegates from over 100 countries and 300+ companies, aimed to showcase India’s leadership in AI and innovation. BJP leaders condemned the disruption vehemently. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh called it “shameful,” arguing it damaged the nation’s reputation globally. Sambit Patra accused it of being a conspiracy to tarnish India’s image at a high-profile event.
A viral photo of Narsimha Yadav with Rahul Gandhi added fuel to the controversy, putting Congress under scrutiny. Police have registered an FIR and are probing a possible wider conspiracy angle.