‘You are already naked’: PM Modi slams Congress over shirtless protest at AI Summit

Prime Minister accuses Congress of “dirty politics” at global AI event; four Youth Congress leaders arrested

February 22, 2026

Shirtless protest at AI event sparks political storm; four Youth Congress leaders arrested

AI Summit row: PM Modi accuses Congress of defaming India

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday launched a sharp attack on the Congress party after members of its youth wing staged a shirtless protest during the India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, accusing the party of turning a global platform into a stage for “dirty and naked politics.”

Addressing a public gathering in Meerut, PM Modi described the protest as evidence of what he called the Congress party’s “ideological bankruptcy” and alleged that it was attempting to defame the country at an international event.

In a scathing remark aimed at the opposition, the Prime Minister said, “You are already naked, then why did you feel the need to take off your clothes?”

‘National event, not a BJP programme’

The Prime Minister asserted that the AI Summit was a national event and not linked to the BJP. “Congress leaders hate me, they want to dig my grave. They don’t even hesitate to insult my mother. Congress should have remembered that the AI Global Summit was not a BJP event, and no BJP leader was present at that time. This was national work. But Congress broke the decorum that day,” he said.

He further alleged that some political parties were unable to accept India’s global success, particularly after hosting what he described as one of the world’s largest AI conferences.

“We just witnessed the world’s largest AI conference in India. But what did the Congress and its ecosystem do? They turned a global event for India into a platform for dirty and naked politics,” PM Modi said.

#WATCH | Meerut, Uttar Pradesh: Prime Minister Narendra Modi says, “… The Congress turned a global event for India into a platform for its dirty and naked politics. Congress leaders reached the venue naked in front of the foreign guests. I ask the Congress people, the country… https://t.co/fa5yKag8oq pic.twitter.com/81zAr1Qsar
— ANI (@ANI) February 22, 2026

Youth Congress protest at AI Summit

The controversy erupted after a group of workers affiliated with the Indian Youth Congress reportedly entered a hall at the India AI Impact Summit on Friday and staged a shirtless protest.

The protesters were seen raising slogans against the government over its trade engagement with the United States. Some carried T-shirts bearing images of PM Modi and US President Donald Trump.

Security personnel and police deployed at the venue intervened to prevent disruption. According to officials, the protesters allegedly engaged in arguments with security staff during the incident.

Four leaders arrested, sent to remand

Four individuals were arrested in connection with the protest: Krishna Hari, national secretary of the Youth Congress; Kundan Yadav, Bihar state secretary; Ajay Kumar, Uttar Pradesh vice president; and Narasimha Yadav, national coordinator.

They were produced before a court on Saturday and subsequently remanded to five days of police custody.

The protest has triggered a fresh political face-off between the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress, with both sides trading accusations over decorum, dissent, and the use of international platforms for domestic political messaging.

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