Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], February 20 : Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday strongly condemned a protest by the youth wing of the Congress during the India AI Impact Summit at Bharat Mandapam, calling it a "shameful incident" and an attempt to damage the country's reputation globally.
While addressing the Uttar Pradesh legislative assembly, he accused the protestors of attempting to "spread anarchy".
"Today, the youth wing of the Congress party attempted a shameful incident at Bharat Mandapam. An attempt has been made to tarnish India's image globally, and we condemn it. These people want to play games at the expense of the country. Where people from over 100 countries are participating, they are trying to spread anarchy by creating such chaos. Every Indian should condemn this incident. Strict action should be taken against those behind this," Adityanath said.
The criticism followed a protest organised by Indian Youth Congress cadres at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. During the protest, party workers removed their shirts as a mark of dissent.
In a statement, the Indian Youth Congress said its workers were protesting against a "compromised Prime Minister who has traded the identity of the country at the Al Summit".
Police later detained the protesters.
"Indian Youth Congress workers raised their voice and protested against the compromised Prime Minister who has traded the identity of the country at the Al Summit," an official post from the Indian Youth Congress said.
The protest came after Congress leader and Leader of Opposition (LoP) Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi attacked the Centre, saying, "Instead of leveraging India's talent and data, the AI summit is a disorganised PR spectacle -Indian data up for sale, Chinese products showcased."
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge had also alleged mismanagement of the Al Summit, claiming that what could have been a "showpiece" event for India turned into "utter chaos".
Kharge claimed that visitors and exhibitors alike faced "extreme distress" due to a lack of basic facilities such as food and water. In a post on X, Kharge criticised the government, stating that the summit, which was expected to showcase India's digital and artificial intelligence capabilities to the world, reportedly witnessed large-scale mismanagement.
"What could have been a showpiece AI Summit for the entire world, demonstrating the digital and AI capabilities of India has reportedly turned into utter chaos and rank mismanagement by this 'PR hungry' government," Kharge said.
Meanwhile, the Delhi Police detained some of the protesting workers from the Mandapam premises and as per sources, legal action against the protestors is being initiated.
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