Is Jitan Ram Manjhi Right to Criticize Rahul Gandhi for Youth Congress' 'Shirtless' Protest at the AI Summit?
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Patna, Feb 21 (NationPress) Union MSME Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi delivered a scathing critique of the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, in response to a controversial shirtless demonstration by Youth Congress activists at the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi.
Utilizing the social media platform X, Manjhi made mathematical comparisons to juxtapose Prime Minister Narendra Modi against Gandhi.
In his post, he stated, “The nation’s honour = Narendra Modi, the nation’s respect = Narendra Modi, the nation’s disgrace = Congress Party, the nation’s curse = Rahul Gandhi.”
Manjhi intensified his reproach, questioning Rahul's political behavior and labeling the protest as a humiliation to the nation.
“Rahul Gandhi, how long will you act like a child? When visitors come to your home, do you strip and create chaos before them? The AI Summit was an event in our nation, every Indian’s home. Such behavior is reprehensible and will be remembered in the dark annals of India’s history. It was disgraceful,” he remarked.
These comments followed a disruption at the AI Summit by a group of men, reportedly affiliated with the Indian Youth Congress, who engaged in a shirtless protest.
The BJP asserted that the demonstration was orchestrated by Narsimha Yadav, identified as a close aide of Gandhi.
According to the BJP, the protest aimed to criticize Prime Minister Modi concerning the India–US trade agreement.
Earlier, Rahul had opposed this deal during the Budget Session of Parliament, claiming it was agreed upon under duress from US President Donald Trump.
Outside Parliament, Rahul had declared, “The Prime Minister is compromised,” a phrase that Congress supporters allegedly echoed as slogans during the protest at the summit.
The incident has sparked renewed political discord between the BJP and Congress, with the ruling party accusing the opposition of damaging India’s reputation on an international stage, while Congress asserts that its protest was intended to spotlight national interests.