Delhi Police arrest 4 IYC leaders after shirtless protest at India AI Summit

FOur native american early days united states congress (IYC) functionaries feature been arrested by the constabulary after a group of shirtless protesters barged into the venue of a high-profile technology summit on Friday, and shouted slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the country’s new trade deal with the United States of America.Police said the incident occurred in one of the halls at the ‘India AI Impact Summit 2026’ at Bharat Mandapam when the protesters walked in, shouting slogans and holding up their T-shirts.The four protesters have been identified as IYC secretary Krishna Hari, Bihar IYC secretary Kundan Yadav, Uttar Pradesh IYC vice president Ajay Kumar, and IYC national coordinator Narasimha Yadav.Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi district) Devesh Kumar Mahla said the protesters entered the venue around 12.30 pm after scanning their QR code. But they started disrupting the event by shouting slogans and removing their shirts.IYC national president Uday Bhanu Chib confirmed that the protesters were from the Congress’s youth wing.“Our youth Congress colleagues are Rahul Gandhi’s soldiers. They won’t be intimidated…. 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,” he said.Top leaders of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) slammed the protest at a global event intended to showcase India’s digital prowess.In a post on X, defence minister Rajnath Singh attacked the Congress for choosing disruption over contribution at the global event that showcased India’s global leadership in technology and innovation.“The unruly conduct of Youth Congress workers at the venue was deeply unfortunate and reflects a disregard for the dignity of an event of international significance. Such actions risk undermining India’s image at a time when the nation is being recognised globally for its progress. I strongly condemn this behaviour. At moments when India is advancing on the world stage, partisan disruptions serve no national purpose. Political differences are natural in a democracy, but they must never come at the cost of the country’s honour. The people of India know who is committed to strengthening the nation’s global standing and who places politics above national interes,” he said.Union IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said, ”This is the time when we should keep the summit above politics and everybody cooperates with this effort...The Congress only want to create obstacles in everything and only God can save them...”Union Minister Piyush Goyal said the protest was the Congress’s arrogance and frustration on display!“So, Mr. Rahul Gandhi, humiliating India to target the Government is your idea of opposition! While you want to choke India’s development by peddling lies about the recent trade deals, your foot soldiers are marching shirtless at the prestigious AI Summit, attempting to embarrass 140 crore Indians globally. This disruption strategy only exposes your and your party’s lack of vision for India.”