Row Over Youth Congress Protest At AI Summit

BJP calls it anti-national; Uday Bhanu Chib says farmers’ issues were highlighted

February 20, 2026: A political controversy broke out after the Youth Congress staged a protest during the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in Delhi. The Bharatiya Janata Party termed the demonstration “anti-national”, drawing sharp reactions from the opposition. Youth Congress president Uday Bhanu Chib, however, defended the protest, saying it had exposed the ruling party rather than embarrassed the country.

In an interaction with ABP News, Chib said the protest was not aimed at the AI summit but at the interim trade agreement signed with the United States. He alleged that the deal would adversely affect Indian farmers and compromise their interests. “When farmers are being compromised and youth are being pushed into unemployment and divisive politics, we cannot remain silent,” he said.

Responding to criticism about staging the protest in the presence of foreign delegates, Chib maintained that India’s democratic character is well known globally. He asserted that the demonstration was carried out in support of farmers and not against technological progress or the summit itself.