IYC President Bhanu Chib on 'shirtless' protest at AI Impact Summit: 'It's anger from every unemployed person'

Reacting to the ‘shirtless’ protest staged by Indian Youth Congress (IYC) members at the AI Impact Summit in Delhi on Friday, IYC National President Uday Bhanu Chib said, “This anger isn't just from our Youth Congress members. It's from every young person who is unemployed today, and every single one of them knows that our Prime Minister is compromised.”

Earlier in the day, members of the Indian Youth Congress staged a ‘shirtless’ protest against Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the India AI Impact Summit, which is being held at Delhi's Bharat Mandapam. The protestors accused the Prime Minister of compromising national interests at the summit.

A senior police officer said that around 10 people were detained during the protest at the AI Summit, news agency PTI reported.

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"They were removed immediately and were taken to Tilak Marg police station. No one will be allowed to breach the law and order situation," the officer said.

The protesters reportedly removed their shirts as a mark of anger against the PM, claiming that he has ‘been compromised,’ as per reports, citing party leaders.

According to PTI, the group of people marched inside Hall No. 5, wearing or holding white T-shirts with images of Prime Minister Modi and US President Donald Trump printed on them, along with slogans such as "India US Trade Deal", "Epstein Files" and “PM is compromised” – which resulted in a commotion.

‘…Rahul Gandhi’s soldiers'

Speaking to ANI, Uday Bhanu Chib claimed that Youth Congress colleagues are 'Rahul Gandhi's soldiers', and that "they won’t be intimidated".

“Our Youth Congress colleagues are Rahul Gandhi's soldiers. They won't be intimidated. When there wasn't an FIR against Rahul Gandhi, the ED case dragged on for so many years. He was summoned for questioning so many times. The BJP can go to any lengths, but we are soldiers of the Constitution, soldiers of Rahul Gandhi. We won't back down. We will raise our voice for the youth of the country,” the IYC president told ANI.

BJP reacts to protest

Following the protest, BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla took a sharp jibe at the Congress – alleging that the grand old party has “once again proved that for them AI is anti-India,” and that the protest was held at “Rahul Gandhi's behest”.

“Congress has once again proven that for them, AI isn't Ambitious India, Artificial Intelligence, Aspirational India. For them, AI is anti-India. This isn't the INC, this is the ANC, the anti-National Congress. The AI ​​Summit is being praised worldwide. From President Macron to the United Nations Secretary General, to top tech company honchos, from Sam Altman to Sundar Pichai, everyone is praising it,” Poonawalla told ANI.

An eyewitness present at the site, Sumit Patni, told ANI that he felt the venue was not appropriate for the protest. Recalling the moment, he said he was at a booth when he heard sloganeering against the Prime Minister, and it appeared to him that the intent was to create a disruption.