Piyush Goyal hits out at Congress over AI Summit stir: ‘Bid to weaken bharat’

Piyush Goyal

Condemning the Indian Youth Congress (IYC) for staging a shirtless protest during the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal on Friday called it the worst anti-national act”.

He was speaking at the News18 Rising Bharat Summit 2026. I want to condemn in strong words. “A shameful act at the AI Summit to try and belittle India’s achievements and offerings to the world. I won’t be surprised if it had the blessing of the Congress leadership,” he said.

He also termed the act an attempt by the Congress to “weaken Bharat”. The minister also  for slammed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for "dragging innocent farmers into his dirty political strategies". "The Gandhi family has always played with the feelings of our framers," he said.

Members of the Indian Youth Congress assembled outside the high-security venue during AI Bharat Summit and staged a dramatic shirtless protest, shouting slogans and attempting to move toward the site where global leaders and delegates were gathered.

With more than two dozen heads of state and international representatives present, security arrangements had been significantly tightened. The Delhi Police detained and subsequently arrested several protesters for breaching barricades and trying to disrupt the event.

Earlier speaking the same event on Friday, Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia  called the disruption “an unmitigated disaster" at a global platform meant to showcase India’s technological leadership.

"The AI Impact Summit was not a BJP programme. It was Bharat’s programme. You had 26 heads of state visiting India because everyone realises India is the next growth potential in the world." He argued that protests of this nature at an international forum damaged the country’s image at a time when India is emerging as a major technology and innovation hub," he said.

Scindia also said that protests of this nature at an international forum damaged the country’s image at a time when India is emerging as a major technology and innovation hub.