New Delhi, February 21 – Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Kiren Rijiju, on Saturday, described the "shirtless" protest by the Indian Youth Congress (IYC) at the AI Summit in New Delhi as a "crime" and "sin" against the nation, not a harmless "mistake" by young men.
He accused the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, and the Congress of seeking opportunities to defame the country and encouraging the IYC to engage in this shameful protest.
Addressing a press conference, Union Minister Rijiju said the nation was expecting an apology from the Congress a day after the commotion at the AI Summit, but their leaders attempted to justify the "shirtless" protest as an expression of the youth's anger.
"There is nothing more shameful than using the youth's anger to damage the nation's image on a global stage," the Union Minister said, urging the Congress to abandon its anti-national agenda as soon as possible.
"Any effort in the national interest should remain above petty politics. When the country is represented at global forums, including the UN, the nation stands as one entity," he added.
Targeting the Congress and Rahul Gandhi, Union Minister Rijiju said that the country's progress, especially in the digital domain, is never appreciated by them.
"They (the Congress) become sad when they see the nation progressing. Rahul Gandhi goes to Europe and South America to defame the country," he added.
"Rahul Gandhi's coordination with anti-India forces is evident in his call for forces inimical to the country's interests to intervene in our internal matters," the Union Minister said.
Union Minister Rijiju said, "We have also advised senior Congress leaders to advise Rahul Gandhi to abandon his anti-national stance, but without success."
"Rahul Gandhi's anti-national stance is becoming increasingly dangerous. This is what inspired Youth Congress workers to stage this shameful protest at the AI Summit on Friday," he added.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been in opposition for 60 years, but we have never uttered a single anti-national word or engaged in any act that harms the country's interests," the Union Minister said.
Union Minister Rijiju said Prime Minister Narendra Modi constantly advises partymen in the Union Cabinet and party meetings to ensure that "none of our activities adversely affect the country".
"In contrast, Congress leaders and party workers conspire 24 hours a day to damage the country's image," he said, adding that the protest at the AI Summit has angered the people of the country, who are expressing their condemnation of the Congress protest in their own way, whether through street protests or on social media.
Four members of the Indian Youth Congress were arrested after the "shirtless" protest at the Summit on Friday.
Congress leader Gurdeep Singh Sappal sought to defend the protesters, adding that they are "young men who tend to get overly excited and angered".
"The young protesters' anger was expressed in their agitation against the destruction of their future and careers," Sappal said, linking the demonstration at the AI Summit to the allegedly "unfavourable" India-US trade deal.