New Delhi, Feb 20: Youth Congress activists briefly entered Hall No. 5 of an ongoing Artificial Intelligence (AI) summit at Bharat Mandapam, Pragati Maidan, on Friday and staged a shirtless protest, raising slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi before being escorted out by security personnel and detained by police, officials said.
According to security officials and eyewitnesses, a group of Congress youth wing protesters managed to enter the convention complex and reached Hall No. 5, where summit sessions were underway. Once inside, they began shouting slogans critical of the Prime Minister and the Union government. A few protesters stood bare-chested while holding up white T-shirts printed with the Prime Minister’s face, drawing immediate attention from delegates and staff inside the hall.
Additional Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) Devesh Kumar Mahla said, the incident happened around 12.30 pm. He said they managed to enter the premises after registering online using QR codes available on the Summit website. It can be used by anybody to register for an entry to the venue.
“The accused belong to the IYC. They have been identified as Krishna Hari, 35, a resident of Bihar. He is the National Coordinator. Kundan Yadav, 33, a resident of Bihar, State Coordinator. Ajay Kumar, a resident of Uttar Pradesh, state vice president, and Narsimha Yadav, a resident of Telangana, National Coordinator of IYC,” Mahal said.
Security personnel quickly intervened and removed the protesters from the hall to prevent disruption to the event. Police stationed at the venue detained several activists outside the building for questioning. “The protest was unauthorised and raised serious security concerns given the high-profile nature of the summit. The individuals were escorted out and later detained for verification,” a senior police officer said.
The AI summit, attended by senior government officials, global technology leaders, start-up founders and policy experts, is being held at Bharat Mandapam to discuss India’s strategy on artificial intelligence, regulation, innovation and employment opportunities in emerging technologies. Proceedings inside the hall resumed shortly after the disruption, organisers said.
Youth Congress leaders said the demonstration was meant to highlight issues of unemployment and youth distress. A spokesperson for the organisation said the protesters sought to draw attention to what they described as a gap between government-led technology initiatives and ground realities faced by young people. “The protest was symbolic and intended to highlight the concerns of youth who feel left out of the growth narrative,” he said.
Police said around two dozen activists were involved in the protest at different points near the venue. Some protesters had earlier gathered outside the complex before a few managed to enter the hall. They were later taken to a nearby police station and released after formalities, officials added.
Government sources criticised the protest, calling it politically motivated and inappropriate at an international technology event. Officials said the summit aimed to showcase India’s progress in AI and its potential to generate employment, innovation and skill development opportunities.
Security around Bharat Mandapam was tightened after the incident, with additional personnel deployed at entry points and inside halls to prevent further disruptions. Traffic in the Pragati Maidan area remained largely unaffected, and sessions at the summit continued as scheduled.
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