New Delhi, February 23 Amidst a controversy over the Congress' "shirtless" protest at the India AI Impact Summit in Delhi, veteran party leader and former Union minister Margaret Alva said that there must be dignity, discipline, and a sense of responsibility at international events.
However, she clarified that her views are personal and do not diminish her unwavering commitment to the Congress.
On February 20, a group of IYC workers staged a dramatic "shirtless" protest at the AI Impact Summit exhibition hall in Delhi's Bharat Mandapam, walking around holding t-shirts with slogans against the government and the India-US trade deal printed on them.
Asked about the protests, Alva told reporters in Anekal, Karnataka, on Sunday, "At international events, there has to be dignity, there has to be discipline, and there has to be a sense of responsibility."
With reports of her taking a divergent view from the party, Alva on Monday said on X, "Unlike the RSS and BJP, the Congress Party has always allowed and welcomed diverse points of view, dissent, and positive criticism."
"My views on the protest at the AI conference are personal and do not diminish my unwavering commitment to the Congress party and its ideology."
"Beware of political operators masquerading as journalists, who, in order to earn a living and satisfy their puppeteers, are attempting to spin a personal opinion into a complex political drama," Alva said.
India hosted the world's largest artificial intelligence conclave, the AI Impact Summit-2026. The summit, which began on February 16, saw packed halls and long queues, as tech moguls, industry leaders, policymakers, founders, and technologists thronged the Bharat Mandapam here.
