Mayawati, former Uttar Pradesh chief minister and national president of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), on Saturday sharply criticised the shirtless protest at the high-profile ‘AI Impact Summit’ in the national capital, calling the act “extremely indecent and condemnable.”
In a strongly worded post on social media platform X, Mayawati expressed concern over reports that individuals, allegedly linked to the youth wing of the Congress, staged a shirtless demonstration to voice their protest during the internationally attended summit.
The AI Impact Summit drew prominent delegates from India and abroad. Mayawati underscored that while democratic dissent is a constitutional right, the manner of protest must not compromise India’s dignity, particularly when the country is hosting an event of global consequence.
“If the conference had not been of international importance, it would have been a different matter. But such conduct during a global summit is a matter of concern,” she said, adding that India’s “garima and image” must be protected at all times.
The Congress has not issued an immediate response to the allegations or to Mayawati’s criticism.
Her remarks come a day after Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath criticised the protest at the AI Impact Summit and called for strict action against those responsible.
Political observers note that Mayawati’s intervention places the BSP in a position that stresses institutional decorum and national prestige over aggressive street mobilisation.
