BJP Holds Nationwide Stir Over Congress Workers' ‘Shirtless’ Protest at AI Summit, Delhi BJP President Detained

New Delhi: In a significant political development, leaders and workers of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) staged protests in multiple cities across the country against the Congress party over the Youth Congress ‘shirtless’ demonstration at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 held at Bharat Mandapam.

The protests come amid heightened political tensions following the disruption at the high-profile international summit, which saw participation from delegates from more than 80 countries.

Protests spread across cities

In Delhi, BJP President Virendra Sachdeva and BJP MP Manoj Tiwari led a planned march towards the Congress headquarters. 

During the protest, Sachdeva climbed over barricades and was subsequently detained by the police, and other BJP workers were also detained in Delhi during protests against Youth Congress workers storming into the summit venue.

3-4 Delhi policemen were injured amid the protests in the national capital. 

Similar demonstrations were also held in Jammu, Mumbai and Surat. 

In Surat, Gujarat, BJP workers held a protest rally condemning the incident. Similar demonstrations were organised in Mumbai and Delhi, where party workers raised slogans against the Congress.

In Nagpur, Maharashtra, BJP workers carried posters of Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and raised slogans against the Congress and Gandhi.

After demonstrations in Delhi and Jammu, protests erupted in Jaipur and Hyderabad over the Congress ‘shirtless’ stunt at Bharat Mandapam.

In Hyderabad, Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha workers staged a protest over the Youth Congress demonstration at the India AI Impact Summit 2026. Protesters also held an effigy of Lok Sabha LoP and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.

BJP MP Manoj Tiwari also criticised the 'Shirtless' protest, stating, “The people of the country are not going to forgive the Congress for this act. People from more than 80 countries came to the AI Summit, and everyone has wholeheartedly praised India’s efforts.”

A BJP Yuva Morcha worker said, “The Indian Youth Congress workers carried out a very shameful incident yesterday. For Rahul Gandhi, AI means anti-India. This protest sends a very wrong signal to the world. Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party should apologise to the nation.”

'Shirtless' protest inside AI summit venue 

The controversy comes after Indian Youth Congress workers barged into the ongoing AI Summit at Bharat Mandapam in Delhi on Friday and staged a ‘shirtless’ protest.

The protesters marched inside Hall No. 5, wearing or holding white T-shirts printed with images of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump. The T-shirts carried slogans such as “India-US Trade Deal", “Epstein Files", and “PM is compromised".

They later removed their shirts and raised anti-Modi slogans, including “PM is Compromised", causing a commotion at the high-security venue where heightened security arrangements were in place. 

In a post on X, the Indian Youth Congress also said its workers were protesting against a "compromised prime minister who has traded the identity of the country at the AI Summit".

"Indian Youth Congress workers raised their voice and protested against the compromised prime minister who has traded the identity of the country at the AI Summit," an official post from the Indian Youth Congress said. 

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