The High Commission of India in London on Friday criticised what it termed ‘indecorous audience behaviour’ by a member of the audience during an event attended by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant at Birkbeck, University of London.
Justice Kant had delivered a lecture on "Artificial Intelligence and International Law" on June 4.
In a statement, the High Commission said the lecture was followed by an engaging question-and-answer session, during which an individual allegedly attempted to interrupt and disrupt the proceedings.
The High Commission further stated that although disagreement is a natural feature of democratic societies, it "must be expressed in a manner that is civil and respectful."
Its remarks followed the circulation of videos on social media showing audience members posing questions about safeguards for dissent in India.
The moderator intervened during the interaction, cutting the questions short on the grounds that they were outside the scope of the lecture.
The video from the event that later went viral showed an audience member referring to the Chief Justice's remarks on India's democratic credentials in the context of artificial intelligence. Citing observations by legal commentators and rights advocates, she raised concerns about what she described as an increasingly hostile environment for dissent in the country.
She also referred to the CJI's "well publicised remarks", in an apparent reference to his controversial "cockroach" comment.
Before she could finish her question, the moderator intervened, stating that queries unrelated to "AI & International Law" would not be taken up.
In a separate video circulating online, another attendee could be heard protesting the interruption, saying, "Give us some respect, please."