As many as 160 academicians on Monday described the Congress youth wing’s protest at the AI Impact Summit as “profoundly regrettable and ill-conceived,” saying it reflected an inability to distinguish between legitimate democratic dissent and the need to safeguard national prestige on a global platform.
In a joint statement, the signatories said the protest, “associated with Rahul Gandhi,” created an “unfortunate impression” at a time when global investors and technology leaders were assessing India’s credibility as a long-term partner in artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced technologies.
“As a Member of Parliament, we can say there exists a constitutional responsibility to distinguish between constructive democratic critique and actions that may inadvertently weaken India’s international standing,” they said.
Among the signatories were JNU Vice-Chancellor Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit, IIT Roorkee Director Kamal Kishore Pant, IIT Dharwad Director Venkappayya R Desai, IIT Jodhpur Director Avinash Kumar Agarwal, along with vice-chancellors and professors from universities across the country.
Last Friday, Indian Youth Congress (IYC) workers staged a dramatic shirtless protest inside an exhibition hall at the AI Impact Summit at Bharat Mandapam. Holding T-shirts bearing slogans against the government and the India–US trade deal, they were later escorted out by security personnel.
According to the academicians, the AI Summit marked a defining national moment, representing India’s emergence as a serious and sovereign technological power in the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
“This was neither a partisan platform nor a venue for domestic political propaganda. It was an international forum where India was presenting its technological capabilities, strategic vision and national potential before the world,” the statement said, adding that converting such an occasion into a political demonstration reflected poor judgment.
They said that Congress’s approach did not adequately reflect the broader national interest, particularly when countries such as China and Pakistan had publicly questioned or sought to diminish the summit’s significance.
Highlighting the scale of the event, the academicians noted that 644 AI technologies were showcased, with 41 global technology CEOs in attendance. The summit hosted 326 exhibitors from 37 countries and attracted nearly five lakh visitors. Investment commitments worth USD 250 billion were announced.
The unveiling of three indigenous Large Language Models marked a decisive shift, they said, underscoring India’s move from adopting global AI frameworks to building foundational capabilities.
At a time when AI is reshaping global power structures, India demonstrated resolve and capacity. This summit will be remembered as a milestone in India’s technological evolution and global positioning, they said.