Indian Youth Congress workers stage a topless protest at Bharat Mandapam on Friday during the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi. | Photo credit: Indian Youth Congress/ANI Video Grab
A senior police officer said around 10 people were detained while protesting the AI Summit.
“They were immediately removed and taken to Tilak Marg police station. No one will be allowed to violate law and order,” the officer said.
The protesters marched into Hall No. 5, wearing white T-shirts with images of Prime Minister Modi and US President Donald Trump printed on them, along with slogans such as ‘India US Trade Deal’, ‘Epstein Files’ and ‘PM has been compromised’, which soon led to an uproar.
The ensuing melee witnessed heated arguments between some attendees of the mega event and some protesters.
Although the protesters carried no party flags or symbols indicating they had any political affiliation, one of them claimed he was “from the Indian Youth Congress”.
An on-duty Delhi Police personnel said they will increase security in the corridors after the “unfortunate episode”.
The protest, which lasted a few minutes before the group was bundled out of the venue, took guests and other visitors by surprise. Many of them watched the unfolding scenes in disbelief, considering the significance of the AI Summit that India is hosting.
The AI Impact Summit will be held from February 16 to 20 at Bharat Mandapam, with the participation of several heads of state, many global AI leaders, academics and researchers, and heads of global technology giants and philanthropists.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the AI Impact Summit 2026 here on Thursday in the presence of several world leaders and heads of global technology giants.
As the protesters marched out of the hall towards the lobby and stood against a huge backdrop set up there shouting that the Prime Minister had been compromised, a guest wearing an authentic entry badge told them that it was they who were ‘compromised’ as this episode was ‘tarnishing the image of India’. The guest urged security personnel to take them away from the venue.
A student from Ludhiana, who visited the Impact Arena at the summit venue on Friday, said general visitors have to register online through the summit website and a QR code will appear on the email with the name and identity of their organization or institution and this QR code will be used to enter the premises at Bharat Mandapam.
Published on February 20, 2026
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