BJP demonstration outside Congress HQ over AI Summit protest

New Delhi: BJP stepped up its attack on Congress on Saturday as it likened Friday's protest at AI Impact Summit to treason and claimed that Rahul Gandhi was the inspiration for his party's youth workers involved in the shirtless demonstration as he frequently defamed India.

A large number of BJP workers also protested outside the Congress headquarters in the city. Led by Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva and MP Manoj Tiwari, the protesters broke through two layers of barricades before police personnel deployed at the spot detained Sachdeva and several others, and took them to Tughlaq Road police station. They were released about an hour later.




A group of Indian Youth Congress workers had moved around the summit venue protesting against the India-US trade agreement framework on Friday. Four of them were arrested later.

Union minister Kiren Rijiju termed the protest as a "big crime" and "big sin" against the country, alleging that Congress tried to defame it when the world was lauding the summit organised under PM Narendra Modi's leadership.

The party's frustration has grown so much over its repeated electoral failures that it has turned "anti-national", Rijiju alleged. "If Congress had even an ounce of sensitivity towards the country, it would have introspected and apologised. Instead of expressing regret, Congress is justifying the misconduct of its members."

BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi slammed the protesters as "flag-bearees of Lashkar-e-Rahul". So far Rahul used to make derogatory and offensive statements about India abroad, he claimed. "Now the flag-bearers and sepoys of Lashkar-e-Rahul are trying to tarnish India's image in front of foreign guests."

Sachdeva said the summit was "not a BJP but a national event". "At a crucial platform where India was showcasing its innovation capabilities, startup ecosystem and digital revolution, such behaviour reflects the negative politics of Congress." Tiwari claimed the protest had exposed the party's "frustration".

No response was available from Congress on Saturday. On Friday, IYC said the demonstration "reflected the anger felt by the country's youth".