New Delhi, February 21 – A day after members of the Indian Youth Congress staged a bare-chested protest during the India-AI Impact Summit 2026, the organization shared a photograph of Mahatma Gandhi on social media to defend their dramatic demonstration.
On Friday, members of the Youth Congress carried out a protest inside Bharat Mandapam during the high-profile India AI Impact Summit, raising slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Central government over alleged "unemployment, inflation, and the reported India-US trade deal."
The protest triggered strong reactions from leaders of the BJP-led NDA, who accused the Congress party of attempting to "tarnish" the country's image at an international event attended by global delegates.
Amid the backlash, the Youth Congress posted on X, seeking to justify their actions.
In the post, they wrote, "We are descendants of Gandhiji, even if we are shirtless."
The message was accompanied by a photograph of Mahatma Gandhi bearing the tag 'Shirtless Congressi'.
Earlier on Friday, several Youth Congress workers removed their shirts inside the venue of the AI summit and raised slogans such as "PM is compromised" before security personnel stepped in.
The protesters were promptly detained and escorted out of the premises to prevent any disruption to the international summit, which was attended by senior government officials, industry representatives, and foreign delegates.
Witnesses said that some of the demonstrators, while shouting slogans, stood shirtless in front of an India AI Summit display board, taking photographs and attempting to create a disturbance at the venue.
The episode drew sharp political reactions. Leaders from the ruling alliance criticized the protest as an effort to seek publicity during a globally significant event, while opposition leaders defended it as a legitimate form of dissent in a democracy.