INDIA bloc allies criticise Youth Congress agitation at India AI Impact Summit

New Delhi: Congress' own INDIA bloc allies, including the Samajwadi Party and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), voiced reservations over the Youth Congress protest at the AI Impact Summit here, while other non-NDA opposition parties also criticised the agitation, saying international platforms should not be used for domestic political messaging.

Sloganeering by Youth Congress workers inside the exhibition hall at Bharat Mandapam - before they were detained by security personnel - has sparked a wider political debate on the propriety and optics of dissent at high-profile global events.

Speaking in Jhansi, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said that while political differences are natural, staging a protest at a global forum in the presence of foreign delegates was inappropriate.


BSP chief Mayawati reacted sharply, terming the semi-nude protest by those reportedly linked to the Indian Youth Congress "highly objectionable and condemnable," and said it damaged the country's dignity and image.

RJD MP Manoj Kumar Jha said while grievances may be legitimate, the choice of venue for raising them was critical and a more appropriate platform could have been identified.

In Hyderabad, BRS working president KT Rama Rao described the protest as "deplorable," stating international summits were not the right forum for political agitations. He noted that the incident coincided with Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy's address at the event.

YSRCP chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy also said that political differences should not overshadow the country's collective image before the global community.