Union Minister Kiren Rijiju criticized the Congress for a shirtless protest by its workers at the AI summit, expressing disappointment at the party’s failure to apologize for the incident. The protest, staged by members of the Indian Youth Congress during the India AI Impact Summit 2026, involved slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Central government regarding alleged issues of unemployment, inflation, and the reported India-US trade deal.
Rijiju, in a social media post, expressed surprise at the Congress leaders’ defense of the protest, stating that the public had reprimanded them. The protesters, who removed their shirts and chanted slogans like “PM is compromised,” were swiftly detained by security personnel to prevent disruption of the high-profile event attended by government officials, industry leaders, and foreign delegates.
The dramatic protest saw some party workers going topless and standing in front of an India AI Summit board, attempting to cause a disturbance. Security personnel promptly removed them from the venue to maintain order. The incident sparked criticism from BJP national president Nitin Nabin and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who condemned the protest as disgraceful and deplorable.
The Congress, however, defended the protest as an expression of anger against the Union government regarding the reported trade deal with the United States. Videos of the protest were shared by the Youth Congress on their social media platform.
