As Rahul Gandhi’s attack against the Centre came over the AI Impact Summit, it emerged that organisers have asked the Galgotias University to vacate the Expo area at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi amid the Chinese robodog controversy.
AI Impact Summit underway in Delhi (ANI photo)
Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday slammed the Centre over the ongoing AI Impact Summit in the national capital, calling it a ‘disorganised PR spectacle’.
Taking to X amid the raging controversy over Galgotias University allegedly showcasing a Chinese-made robotic dog as its own invention at the event, Rahul alleged the Summit has failed to leverage India’s talent and data.
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“Instead of leveraging India’s talent and data, the AI summit is a disorganised PR spectacle – Indian data up for sale, Chinese products showcased,” the Leader of the Opposition posted on X today.
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It may be noted that the Congress MP had earlier alleged, while speaking in Parliament, that the Indian government had compromised with the data of billions of Indians while agreeing to the India-US trade deal.
Instead of leveraging India’s talent and data, the AI summit is a disorganised PR spectacle – Indian data up for sale, Chinese products showcased. https://t.co/5liaoX0XXp
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) February 18, 2026
As Rahul’s attack against the Centre came, it also emerged that organisers have asked the Galgotias University to vacate the Expo area at the AI Impact Summit at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi.
ANI reported government sources as saying that the direction followed the row over the display of a Chinese-made robodog at the Summit by the varsity.
A Galgotias University professor, Dr Aishwarya Shrivastava, meanwhile, said they have no information about being asked to vacate the expo area. The professor also contended that they had never called the robodog their invention.
“We never claimed that we manufactured it (robodog); it was only a part of our AI investment. It got misinterpreted in a big way,” stated Dr Shrivastava.
The university, facing rising heat online and offline over the controversy, earlier described the allegations as “propaganda.”
“We at Galgotias, faculty and students, are deeply pained by the propaganda campaign against our university. We would like to clearly state that the robotic programming is part of our endeavour to make students learn AI programming and develop & deploy real world skills using globally available tools and resources, given developing AI talent is need of an hour,” the university said in a statement.
“Our university’s vision is focused on student learning & innovation and we provide students with access to modern technologies so they can gain practical experience and prepare for the future. Spreading negativity can harm the morale of students, who are working hard to innovate, learn, and build their skills using global technologies,” it added.
#WATCH | Delhi | On row over Galgotias University’s display of a Chinese-made robot dog at AI Impact Summit, the university’s communications professor, Neha, says,”By one misinterpretation, the internet has gone by storm. It might be that I could not convey well what I had wanted… pic.twitter.com/U6dqbBKLXO
— ANI (@ANI) February 18, 2026
The Congress party too criticised the Union government as well as Electronics and Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw today, for making India “a laughing stock globally, with regard to AI”.
“In the ongoing AI summit, Chinese robots are being displayed as our own. The Chinese media has mocked us. This is truly embarrassing for India. What is even more shameful is the fact that Modi’s minister Ashwini Vaishnaw is indulging in the same falsehood, promoting China’s robots at the Indian summit.
“The Modi Government has caused irreparable damage to the image of the country – they have reduced AI to a joke – a field in which we could be world leaders given our data power,” the Congress party posted on X.
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