Right in the middle of India’s big global AI Impact Summit at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, On February 20, 2026, a group of about ten young Indian Youth Congress workers pulled off one of the most dramatic stunts in recent memory. These guys walked into Exhibition Hall No. 5 like regular attendees – they’d even registered with QR code passes – but once inside, off came the shirts. They commence waving white T-shirts printed with photos of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump, screaming slogans like “PM is compromised,” “India-US Trade Deal,” and “Epstein Files.” Chaos penniless with too heated words flapping between protesters and attendees, until security darted in, catapulted them out, and dragged them off to the Tilak Marg police station.
The four main members arrested were Krishna Hari, the Youth Congress National Secretary from Bihar, Narasimha Yadav (National Coordinator), Kundan Yadav from Bihar, and Ajay Kumar from Uttar Pradesh. Police said they’re poking the bigger conspiracy, checking where those printed T-shirts came from, and slapping serious charges, including for allegedly attacking cops. The rest will be tracked down using facial recognition tech. Sources close to the government told reporters the protesters came “fully prepared” – they’d even planned to use black umbrellas with stickers first but switched to T-shirts when they figured umbrellas would get confiscated at the gate.
So what were they so fired up about? The recently announced India-US interim trade framework deal. Back in early February, Trump and Modi’s teams hammered out this reciprocal trade agreement. India agreed to slash or wipe out tariffs on a bunch of American industrial goods and farm products like soybean oil, tree nuts, wine, and more. In return, the US dropped its extra 25% tariffs (tied to Russian oil imports) and set a new 18% reciprocal rate on Indian stuff like textiles, leather, chemicals, and machinery. Congress calls it a raw deal for India – bad for farmers, bad for jobs, basically selling out national interests to big corporates. The Youth Congress put it bluntly on social media: “When corporate interests trump national interests and softness in foreign policy is visible, protest becomes a duty.” Their national president Uday Bhanu Chib said the anger isn’t just theirs – it’s from every unemployed young person who sees the PM as “compromised.”
The BJP and the government went ballistic. Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal called it “Congress arrogance” and accused Rahul Gandhi of humiliating India just to score points. BJP leaders like Amit Malviya, Pradeep Bhandari, and Sambit Patra labeled it a “national shame,” “topless, brainless, shameless,” and an “anti-national act” designed to embarrass the country while the whole world was watching India shine at its own AI summit. UP CM Yogi Adityanath demanded strict action. They’re painting it as Rahul Gandhi’s soldiers trying to sabotage India’s global tech moment.
The summit itself – running February 16 to 20, with PM Modi kicking it off – was all about positioning India as an AI superpower. Big names like Sundar Pichai and Sam Altman were around, MoUs were flying, and India even joined the US-led Pax Silica coalition for critical tech. Protesters insist they weren’t against the AI event, just the “compromises” happening behind the scenes.
In the end, this shirtless drama has blown up into a full-blown political slugfest. Congress says it’s their democratic right to highlight youth unemployment and farmer worries. The ruling side calls it cheap theatrics that hurt India’s image. Either way, the video’s everywhere, and people are divided – some calling it bold, others saying it was straight-up embarrassing. Classic Indian politics, right? Loud, messy, and impossible to ignore.
Sources:
NDTV reports
The Hindu
PTI
Times of India
Hindustan Times
New Indian Express
