New Delhi, Feb 24 (IANS) A group of eminent and noted citizens on Tuesday came down heavily on the recent shirtless protests at the AI Impact Summit by the Indian Youth Congress (IYC) workers and also lambasted the Congress’ brand and style of politics, claiming that this amounted to putting the party’s own interests above the Republic’s image and prestige.

Describing themselves as the concerned citizens of India, they reproved the drama and spectacle at the AI Summit as “unpardonable” and said this was nothing short of bringing disgrace to the nation and also betraying the national dignity.

The citizens, alarmed over the belittling of the Indian Republic’s prestige at the cost of the party’s “scripted tantrums”, comprised many distinguished and noted citizens from various walks of life, particularly former envoys, retired topmost bureaucrats, former judges and armed force veterans.

In a detailed statement titled “A National Disgrace at Bharat Mandapam”, close to 300 accomplished individuals having served the nation in various capacities voiced strong criticism of the manner of protest and said, “We call for a collective rejection of any political culture that finds pride in the public defamation of the motherland.”

Former J&K DGP SP Vaid, former Principal Chief Commissioner Income Tax Vijay Kumar Singhal, Former RAW chief Sanjeev Tripathi, and former Delhi High Court Chief Justice BC Patel are among the noted signatories to this statement, with all concurring that the incident, at the outset, left them shocked beyond belief.

“This was not a spontaneous expression of dissent, but it was 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,” said the damning statement.

Blasting the timing of shirtless stir at AI Expo, they said that when India was showcasing its intellectual might with the world’s most influential tech leaders, global CEOs, and international delegates in attendance, the “scripted tantrums” of Congress youth wing workers 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,” they stated.

In further dressing down, they said that the democratic protest is a sacred right, but it is not a licence for anarchy or the public humiliation of the nation.

“True political opposition challenges policy through intellectual rigour and parliamentary debate; it does not resort to stripping in front of foreign dignitaries to garner social media traction. This stunt has provided our adversaries with the very footage they need to undermine India’s success story,” the statement further stated.

The concerned citizens further denounced the move as an attempt to “hijack a national milestone for partisan theatre of absurdity” and said that the “shirtless” stunt was a pathetic display of “brainless” politics that insults the intelligence of the Indian youth it claims to represent.

“International forums must remain off-limits for the undignified internal squabbles of any political party. Such actions did not hurt a government; they hurt a nation,” they concluded.

A day ago, a group of academicians and educationists called out the ‘topless’ demonstrations by the IYC workers at AI Expo, terming the move as “profoundly regrettable and ill-conceived.”

–IANS

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