Scindia calls Congress's shirtless protest at AI summit 'unmitigated disaster'

At the Rising Bharat Summit, Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said that India is the next growth potential for the world.

Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Friday termed the Indian Youth Congress's shirtless protest at Bharat AI Impact Summit an "unmitigated disaster".

Speaking at the News18 Rising Bharat Summit 2026, the minister said, "AI summit was not a BJP programme, India was on world stage. If on that platform you have to show vacuousness, then best of luck to you."

He was in conversation with Dr Nalin Mehta, Managing Editor, Moneycontrol.com and Chief AI Officer (Editorial Operations), Network18 Group.

According to Scindia, the thought process of Congress is "not acceptable to any person in India".

He said AI will create more opportunities than extinguish them.

Some workers of the Indian Youth Congress (IYC) entered the AI Impact Summit at Bharat Mandapam last Friday, February 20, and staged a shirtless protest inside the exhibition hall. They moved around the venue holding up T-shirts emblazoned with slogans criticising the government over the proposed India–US trade deal.

.According to police, the protesters had completed the mandatory online registration process and gained entry to the venue using QR codes. They were dressed casually, wearing sweaters and jackets over their T-shirts.

Delhi Police have arrested IYC national president Uday Bhanu Chib in connection with the protest.

'Nothing to say'

Regarding Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's remark that Prime Minister Narendra Modi agreed to the India-US trade deal amid pressure from President Donald Trump, the Union minister said, "This will not be acceptable to any citizen, have nothing to say to Rahul Gandhi. If you are so anti your own country, then this country has no place for you."

Gandhi had challenged PM Modi to cancel the deal after the US Supreme Court ruled against Trump tariffs. Repeating the "sold India" allegations against the Prime Minister, he accused the Centre of providing the data of Indians to the US.

"The trade agreement with the United States was stalled for four months because it involved agriculture and agricultural products. The Indian government did not want American companies to sell their products here. India's farmers, farm workers, and even the government didn't want this. In my address, I was not just talking about (former Army Chief) Naravane ji. After I finished my address, without consulting his own cabinet ministers, PM Modi called Trump. He lied, pretended that Congress' woman MPs were about to attack, but instead called directly and said he was ready to do the deal. You can see in his eyes that PM Narendra Modi is compromised," said Gandhi.