Guwahati: Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on Saturday criticised the Congress over protests during the World AI Summit, accusing the opposition of engaging in “petty politics” at a time when India was receiving global recognition.
Taking to the micro-blogging site X, Saha praised the country’s showing at the summit under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“At the World AI Summit, India’s brilliance illuminated the global stage… India’s talent, innovation, and ambition earned global admiration,” he wrote.
Targeting the Congress, the Chief Minister alleged that the Congress chose to undermine the country’s achievements instead of supporting the national effort.
“Yet, instead of standing with the nation, the Congress chose petty politics, attempting to undermine India’s global moment and disrespecting those who represented the country with pride,” he added.
He further termed the move a “betrayal of national interest” and said that when India rises, every citizen should rise with it.
Brief chaos was reported at the summit venue on Friday afternoon when protesters carrying or wearing T-shirts with slogans such as “PM is compromised”, “India-US trade deal” and “Epstein Files” raised slogans inside the venue.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) condemned the demonstration, calling it a political stunt by Congress workers. Party leaders said the protest diverted attention from key discussions on innovation and international cooperation in artificial intelligence that the government intended to highlight through the summit.
Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw also urged the Congress to treat the IndiaAI Summit as an issue above party rivalry.
“No one can explain it to them (protesters). That is their job. They must have been very scared about how such a good, such a grand AI summit took place,” Vaishnaw said.