In the heart of Bengaluru, AICC chief Mallikarjun Kharge mounted a spirited defense of Youth Congress members who staged a topless protest at Delhi’s AI Impact Summit. Labeling their actions as patriotic service, Kharge fiercely denounced the subsequent arrests as a blatant suppression of dissent.
The summit, meant to showcase AI’s global potential, became the stage for these young activists to bare their torsos in a symbolic cry against unemployment ravaging the youth and systemic neglect of farmers. Kharge, addressing the media, emphasized that the protest was meticulously planned to highlight these national emergencies without malice.
He took sharp aim at the Modi government’s foreign policy missteps, alleging that pacts with the Trump administration have crushed farmers under economic strain. ‘Stopping Russian oil imports to appease America? This burdens our people,’ Kharge charged, warning of long-term damage to India’s agricultural backbone.
Questioning the fairness of denying bail and remanding protesters to custody, Kharge argued it erodes democracy’s foundations. He debunked BJP’s narrative of national embarrassment by recalling how their own leaders, including Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, openly protested at international events like the Commonwealth Games.
Kharge portrayed the Youth Congress action as a vital wake-up call, not chaos. With unemployment figures soaring and farmers in distress, he lambasted PM Modi for prioritizing global optics over domestic realities. This episode underscores deepening political divides, with Congress vowing to amplify these voices louder.