Rijiju: AI Summit protest by Congress a well-planned conspiracy
Rijiju: AI Summit protest by Congress a well-planned conspiracy
Union Minister Rijiju labels the protest by Youth Congress at the India AI Impact Summit as a deliberate conspiracy, amid court custody pleas for arrested protesters.
Union minister Kiren Rijiju on Saturday launched a blistering attack on the Congress, alleging that the party has committed a "big sin" against the country by deploying its youth wing workers to hold a protest at the India AI Impact Summit. He described the protest as "shameful" and insisted it was not a mistake but a well-thought-out conspiracy to attack India. Speaking at a press conference at the BJP headquarters, Rijiju accused Congress leaders and Rahul Gandhi of remaining unapologetic as the country advances.
A group of India Youth Congress workers staged a brief protest at Bharat Mandapam, the venue for the AI Summit, raising slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi before security personnel carried them away. The incident has become a flashpoint in the political narrative around India's AI policy event.
Four IYC protesters—Krishna Hari, national secretary of Youth Congress from Bihar; Kundan Yadav, IYC state secretary, Bihar; Ajay Kumar, IYC state president, Uttar Pradesh; and Narasimha Yadav from Telangana—were arrested in connection with the demonstration. They appeared in court as the case moved through Delhi's legal channels.
Delhi’s Patiala House Court reserved its order on a police custody plea for the arrested IYC workers, as authorities sought five-day custody to investigate the protest and the surrounding circumstances. The clash over dissent at a high-profile tech summit underscores the broader political contest over India’s AI roadmap and how protest rights are balanced with security at such events.
The AI Summit, focused on India’s AI policy and industry advancement, has become a staging ground for partisan messaging, with the BJP defending the appearance of the protest as a test of national pride, while the Congress emphasizes the importance of peaceful dissent and accountability in governance.
