It was a day of drama at the AI Global Impact Summit on Friday, where more than 70 countries signed the Delhi Declaration on Artificial Intelligence.
On a day when India joined the Pax Silica Alliance floated by the US, Prime Minister Modi had a meeting with 16 top global tech companies. India made its presence felt on the global AI stage, a handful of Youth Congress workers sought to blacken the image of the AI summit hosted by India.
They walked into the exhibition hall and staged a shirtless protest, chanting anti-Modi and anti-Trump slogans. They were caught by common Indians present at the venue and handed them to the Delhi Police. Youth Congress leaders were arrested by police, and in the process, their act brought a bad name to India.
Top technocrats condemned this protest. The question arises, was the protest done with the sanction and consent of the Congress high command? Was it proper to stage a shirtless protest at a global platform? Has the Congress become so blindingly anti-Modi that it failed to realize the impact that this protest would create on India's image?
Delhi Police lodged an FIR and arrested Krishna Hari, national secretary, Indian Youth Congress, Kundan Yadav, secretary, Bihar Youth Congress, Ajay Kumar, vice president UP Youth Congress and Narasmiha Yadav, national coordinator of IYC.
The protesters had initially planned to take black coloured umbrells printed with anti-Modi messages, but realizing that they could have been caught during entry, they chose to wear T-shirts with stickers hidden inside.
BJP condemned this protest, and its youth wing members staged a protest outside Rahul Gandhi's residence. They burnt his effigy during the protest.
Top BJP leaders Rajnath Singh, Piyush Goyal, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Yogi Adityanath and Ashwini Vaishnaw condemned the IYC protest.
Surprisingly, Congress leaders have chosen to justify this protest. Youth Congress president Udaybhanu Chib said, everybody has the right to stage protest in a democracy and IYC workers asserted their constitutional right.
Opposition leaders are unhappy with the shirtless protest. RJD MP Manoj Jha said, it is necessary to choose the right place for protest, no matter what the level of anger they might have towards the establishment.
The shirtless protest by Congress is not surprising. It is indicative of the changed culture of a party that has undergone change.
A few days ago, India witnessed how women MPs were sent towards the treasury benches in Lok Sabha to embarass our Prime Minister. Today, they sent shirtless young party leaders to a global event. This is shameful.
Congress must remember that the AI Global Summit neither belongs to Modi nor the BJP. It was India which hosted it. While trying to dent Modi's image, Congress has tarnished India's image. This was not spontaneous. It was done with meticulous planning. Hence, it is more dangerous.
Every citizen has the right to stage a protest in a democracy, but there should be limits to where and how protests are organised. In their bid to attack Modi's image, these young leaders of Congress dented India's image.
They forgot the line that demarcates India and Modi. In their bid to oppose Modi, they became shirtless and shameless. Old Congressmen agree that this is an affront to the rich legacy of their 140-year-old party.
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