BJP attacks Congress over shirtless protest, alleges ‘ecosystem paid money to bad mouth AI summit’

As the controversy over the Indian Youth Congress’s shirtless protest at last week’s AI Summit continues to rage, the BJP on Thursday levelled a fresh allegation against the opposition party.

The ruling party has alleged that the Congress masterminded a smear social media campaign to malign the global summit.

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The party claimed that Congress hatched a “well-planned conspiracy” and paid social media influencers money to create and share negative videos on the AI Summit on social media.

BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawala wrote on social media platform X that Congress orchestrated the campaign to defame the AI Summit and badmouth the global event.

“Congress ka ‘Paisa Lo AI Summit, Bharat Badnam Karo’ model. Cong ecosystem paid money to bad mouth AI summit? BJP virodh me desh virodh? After shirtless act now this? (sic)” Poonawala wrote on X.

Congress ka
“Paisa Lo
AI Summit,Bharat Badnam Karo” model

Cong ecosystem paid money to bad mouth AI summit?

BJP virodh me desh virodh?

After shirtless act now this? pic.twitter.com/PS9i5byDVS

— Shehzad Jai Hind (Modi Ka Parivar) (@Shehzad_Ind) February 26, 2026

BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra also levelled a similar allegation, claiming social media users had shared posts and reels stating they received messages from Congress offices or senior leaders offering monetary incentives to post content critical of the AI Impact Summit.

Patra said people were offered amounts ranging from Rs 25,000 to Rs 1.5 lakh to post such content.

“Reels are also trending on social media and people have tweeted and shared through Reels that they received messages from the Congress office and senior Congress leaders that if they tweet or make a Reel against the World AI Summit, they will be given Rs 25,000, Rs 50,000 or even Rs 1.5 lakh. We are seeing many such examples on social media and these are authentic because the messages have been posted and shown,” Patra told a press briefing.

It may be recalled that last Friday, a group of Indian Youth Congress workers staged a shirtless protest inside an exhibition hall during the AI Impact Summit at Bharat Mandapam. The Congress youth wing workers also carried T-shirts bearing slogans against the PM and the India-US trade deal.

Several IYC workers, including its head Uday Bhanu Chib, have been arrested and sent to custody in connection with the protest, which the BJP alleged was part of Congress’s repeated attempts to tarnish India’s image internationally.