New Delhi, March 10 (NationPress) The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) intensified its criticism of the Congress and the Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday over the shirtless demonstration organized by the youth wing during the AI Impact Summit and the subsequent comments made by the Congress leader.

Referencing a historical instance from the era of the late Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru concerning the Holkar dynasty's succession, the BJP challenged the Congress to consider Nehru's views on national identity and representation.

The BJP posited that if Nehru had once asserted that a child born to a foreigner should not represent the country, it was time for the Congress to reconsider that stance today. This remark indirectly pointed to Rahul Gandhi, whose mother Sonia Gandhi is of Italian descent.

Amit Malviya, the head of the BJP IT cell, shared a clip on social media featuring Rahul Gandhi, who appeared to smile and comment on the controversial protest at the AI Impact Summit.

In the clip, Rahul Gandhi was quoted saying, 'Kar diya kaam Youth Congress walo ne (The Youth Congress members have done their job),' in reference to the demonstration held by members of the Indian Youth Congress.

On February 20, Indian Youth Congress activists conducted a 'shirtless' protest at the India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, breaching security at the Bharat Mandapam venue and stripping off their shirts to unveil T-shirts with slogans critical of the government and the India-US trade agreements.

This incident attracted backlash from various political factions, including some allies of the Congress within the INDIA bloc, with numerous leaders accusing the protest of tarnishing the nation’s image on an international stage.

In sharing the video on X, Amit Malviya condemned Rahul Gandhi's reaction, stating, 'Rahul Gandhi proudly declared, 'Youth Congress members have done the job,' after Youth Congress workers staged a naked protest that disrupted the esteemed AI Summit in Delhi, bringing embarrassment to India on a global platform. Let that sink in.'

He elaborated, 'While the world's foremost technology experts, policymakers, and innovators discussed the future of Artificial Intelligence, the Congress party opted for disruption and indecency as its representation of India.'

Malviya also recounted an incident from the 1950s regarding the succession to the Indore throne following Maharaja Yeshwantrao Holkar II's death, questioning whether his son, Richard Holkar, born to an American mother, could inherit the Holkar dynasty's legacy.

'The irony is that even Jawaharlal Nehru, whom the Congress considers its ideological cornerstone, held a very different view regarding national character and loyalty,' he stated.

According to him, after deliberations with leaders of that time, including President Rajendra Prasad and Home Minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Nehru made a decisive statement: the throne should be inherited by a child born to an Indian mother.

This decision mirrored the sentiments of a newly independent nation, where concepts of national identity, loyalty, and civilizational belonging were heavily underscored.

'Ultimately, the government acknowledged Princess Usha Devi Raje Sahib Holkar, the daughter of the Maharaja from his Indian spouse, as the rightful heir to the Holkar heritage,' he remarked.

Nehru later rationalized this by stating her recognition was due to her legitimate birthright within the Holkar dynasty.

Malviya contended that this example illustrates how national identity was perceived in that era.

'The precedent was clear: National identity and loyalty were not mere abstract concepts; they were intrinsically connected to origin and belonging. This brings us back to Rahul Gandhi and the Congress today. If even Jawaharlal Nehru believed that a child born of a foreigner could not be entrusted with the duty of representing the nation, why is the Congress unable to comprehend Nehru's own statements?' Malviya queried.

'Perhaps this explains why they today celebrate protests that disgrace India on the world stage rather than defending the country's dignity,' he concluded.