A group of 277 former high court judges and retired army and police officers on Tuesday condemned the "shirtless" protests by Indian Youth Congress workers last week during the AI Impact Summit in Delhi, terming it "an anti-national disruption" designed to signal instability to global investors and partners.
"The recent unpardonable spectacle at the India AI Impact Summit 2026, where members of the Indian Youth Congress staged a ‘shirtless’ protest within the corridors of Bharat Mandapam, is a grotesque betrayal of national dignity. At a time when the world’s most influential tech leaders, global CEOs, and international delegates gathered to witness India’s ascent as a primary architect of the future, this scripted tantrum served only to defame the country on the global stage.
"By choosing a high-level diplomatic and technological forum to execute a crude, exhibitionist stunt, the organisers have proven that their brand of politics prioritises personal optics over the prestige of the Republic," the joint statement said.
The signatories to the statement include former Delhi High Court judge S.N. Dhingra and former Tripura director-general of police B.L. Vohra. According to the statement, the protest was not a spontaneous expression of dissent but a premeditated act of sabotage.
"Entering a secure, international venue under the guise of legitimate participants using QR codes, only to strip and engage in vulgar sloganeering, is a breach of both security and basic decorum. Such behaviour is not ‘activism’ — it is ‘an anti-national disruption’ designed to signal instability to global investors and partners.
"For any political entity to use an international summit as a backdrop for a ‘topless’ ruckus is to tell the world that India is a land of chaos rather than a sophisticated global power. It mocks the hard work of our scientists, the aspirations of our engineers, and the hospitality of 1.4 billion citizens who take pride in hosting the world," the statement said.