Bold claim: political tension flares as BJP demonstrators wave black flags at Rahul Gandhi, signaling deep opposition just one day after a controversial protest by Youth Congress. But here's where it gets nuanced: the backlash targets not just individuals but the broader image of India’s political landscape as a rising global technology hub.
Across multiple cities, including Delhi, Surat, Mulund, and Hyderabad, BJP workers, allies, and youth members gathered to condemn the Youth Congress for interrupting the India AI Impact Summit in Delhi. In Maharashtra’s Mulund, where Rahul Gandhi was en route to Thane to respond to a defamation case filed by a BJP-aligned RSS activist, protesters displayed black flags and shouted chants like "Lashkar-e-Rahul" alongside other anti-Congress slogans.
The incident at the AI summit’s Delhi venue involved shirtless Youth Congress members entering a hall and vociferously opposing the government’s handling of a US trade deal. Visuals captured loud protests directed at government policy and Congress leadership.
Authorities arrested at least four protesters: Krishna Hari (Youth Congress national secretary), Kundan Yadav (Bihar Youth Congress state secretary), Ajay Kumar (UP Youth Congress vice president), and Narasimha Yadav (Youth Congress national coordinator). Investigators are probing a potential larger conspiracy, with sources noting that entry attempts included clever tricks to bypass security.
Initial plans reportedly involved entering Bharat Mandapam with printed stickers on black umbrellas, which were ultimately abandoned when security would seize the umbrellas at the gate. The plan shifted to affixing printed stickers to T-shirts, and police are tracing the sticker sources.
Union Minister Bhupender Yadav condemned the disruption as "absolute shamelessness from Congress." He asserted that as India positions itself as a global technology powerhouse, such actions undermine the country’s image and amount to sabotage, not mere political opposition.
The defamation case against Rahul Gandhi was filed by RSS activist Rajesh Kunte, who alleges Gandhi claimed the RSS was behind Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination. Kunte’s complaint cites Section 500 of the Indian Penal Code, arguing the remark harmed RSS’s reputation.
