New Delhi, February 20 — At least 10 workers of the India Youth Congress were detained on Friday after staging a protest inside an exhibition hall at Bharat Mandapam during the AI Impact Summit, police said.
According to officials, the protesters raised slogans such as “PM is compromised” while wearing T-shirts bearing the image of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The demonstrators were later escorted out of the venue and taken to the Tilak Marg police station.
“The law will not allow anyone to disrupt public order or violate established norms,” a police officer said, adding that necessary action was taken to ensure the smooth conduct of the event.
The brief protest caused a temporary disruption at the summit, which was attended by policymakers, industry leaders and international delegates focused on discussions around artificial intelligence and innovation.
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party strongly criticised the protest, accusing the Congress of attempting to damage India’s image at a global forum.
BJP spokesperson C R Kesavan said the conduct of the protesters was “indefensible” and claimed it reflected a pattern of behaviour aimed at undermining the country. “Such actions will not be forgotten by the people, especially young citizens,” he said.
BJP leader Amit Malviya, in a social media post, described the incident as a “national shame”. “At a time when India is hosting a prestigious global summit to showcase leadership in artificial intelligence, the Congress chose disruption over dignity,” he said.
Malviya alleged that the protest was meant to embarrass the country on the world stage, adding that while political opposition was a democratic right, actions that harmed India’s global standing were unacceptable.
The BJP also linked the protest to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, accusing him and his party of attempting to tarnish India’s image at important international platforms.