Political Tensions Rise Over AI Impact Summit in India
AI Impact Summit: A Political Battlefield
The AI Impact Summit in India has transformed from a hub of technology and innovation into a significant political battleground. Following a 'shirtless protest' by members of the Youth Congress, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has made a startling accusation. The BJP claims that the Congress party has orchestrated a 'negative PR campaign' by paying social media influencers to tarnish the image of this international event. National spokesperson for the BJP, Shehzad Poonawala, took to the social media platform 'X' to label this as a well-planned conspiracy. According to the BJP, members of the Congress PR team allegedly approached influencers with offers ranging from ₹10,000 to ₹40,000 in exchange for content that would portray the summit unfavorably.
BJP's Allegations Against Congress
In his statements on X, Poonawala asserted that Congress has launched a campaign aimed at discrediting both the AI Summit and India itself, involving payments to influencers to promote negative narratives about the event. He wrote, "Take Congress's money, defame the AI Summit, and tarnish India's reputation. Did the Congress ecosystem pay to malign the AI Summit? Is this the Congress's anti-national agenda? Following the shirtless act, now this?"
Influencers Claim Offers to Discredit the Summit
The controversy escalated as several influencers publicly claimed they received such offers. In videos shared online, they alleged that individuals associated with Congress requested them to create scripted content that would disparage the event. Some of these influencers mentioned they possess chat messages and audio recordings as evidence of the purported financial arrangements.
The Shirtless Protest Incident
Last Friday, a group of Indian Youth Congress workers staged a shirtless protest inside an exhibition hall during the AI Impact Summit. Protesters carried T-shirts with slogans against the government and the India-US trade deal as they moved through the venue, leading to their removal by security personnel. Subsequently, Delhi police arrested eight workers, including IYC President Srinivas BV, in connection with the incident. The BJP responded strongly, labeling Congress as 'anti-India' and accusing it of repeatedly attempting to damage the country's image on public platforms. Congress has yet to provide a detailed response to these allegations.