New Delhi, Feb 20 The Congress on Friday defended a shirtless protest by members from its frontal organisation for youth at the AI Impact Summit 2026 in Delhi, calling it their expression of anger against the Union government over a reported trade deal with the United States.
“Today, Youth Congress comrades have expressed the anger of the youth, farmers and businessmen of the country in the form of protest,” the Congress party posted on its social media “X” handle.
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The party added that nothing can be more anti-national than this.
Incidentally, the government has clarified that farmers’ interest remains a priority for the country and that there has been no compromise over this stand.
The final details of the agreement will be known next month.
A political controversy erupted over the Indian Youth Congress’s manner of protest at an event where many foreign delegates and visitors were present.
Among global leaders attending were France’s President Emmanuel Macron, Secretary-General of the United Nations António Guterres and several tech giants like Sam Altman and Sundar Pichai, among others.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has criticised the Congress, accusing it of disrupting an international event and demanded an apology.
BJP MP Sambit Patra attacked the protest as a “topless, brainless, and shameless” exercise for orchestrating the stunt.
BJP national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari accused the party of attempting to “choke India's development”, and termed it a “national shame”.
However, the social media post by the Congress added in the end, “It is extremely important to raise our voices against this. The Constitution grants Indian citizens the right to protest. We will amplify the voice of the people under the Constitution and will not allow injustice to happen to them.”
Four Youth Congress leaders entered the Summit venue at Delhi's Bharat Mandapam by registering online earlier, scanning the QR codes and concealing T-shirts with graffiti under outerwear.
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