Addressing a rally in Meerut, PM Modi accused Congress of being “ideologically bankrupt” and misusing an international AI summit to push political messaging instead of supporting a national initiative.
BY PC Bureau
New Delhi, February 22, 2026: Amid a political storm over a protest at the India AI Impact Summit, Narendra Modi on Sunday launched a blistering attack on the Congress party, accusing it of reducing a global platform to what he described as “dirty and naked politics.” His remarks came after Youth Congress leaders staged a shirtless protest during the high-profile summit in the national capital.
Addressing a gathering in Meerut, the Prime Minister said the demonstration reflected how “ideologically bankrupt” the grand old party had become.
In a sharp jibe, he remarked, “You are already naked, then why did you feel the need to take off your clothes?”
VIDEO | Meerut, Uttar Pradesh: On Indian Youth Congress’ ‘shirtless protest’ at Bharat Mandapam during the India AI Impact Summit, PM Narendra Modi says, “Congress turned a global event into an arena for its dirty and shameless politics.”
(Source: Third Party)
(Full video… pic.twitter.com/u9RE6MLDXr
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) February 22, 2026
“What the Congress leaders did there shows how ideologically bankrupt and impoverished the oldest party of the country has become. Congress is busy defaming its own country. Some political parties within the country cannot digest India’s success. We just witnessed the world’s largest AI conference in India. But what did the Congress and its ecosystem do? The Congress turned a global event for India into a platform for its dirty and naked politics,” he said.
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The Prime Minister further asserted that the AI Global Summit was a national event and “not a BJP programme,” stressing that no BJP leader was present at the venue at the time of the protest.
“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. This was national work. But Congress broke the decorum that day. This corrupt policy of Congress is being condemned by the entire country,” he added.
The controversy erupted after a group of Youth Congress workers allegedly barged into a hall at the summit on Friday, shirtless and raising slogans against the government over its decision to agree to a trade deal with the United States. Some protesters were seen holding T-shirts bearing images of Prime Minister Modi and former US President Donald Trump.
Security personnel and police deployed at the venue intervened, and the protesters reportedly engaged in arguments with them before being detained.
Four individuals — 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 — were arrested. They were produced before a court on Saturday and remanded to five days in police custody.
