The Delhi Police on Friday arrested four workers of the Congress’ youth wing after they held a protest at the India AI Impact Summit in Delhi against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accusing him of being compromised, ANI reported.

Earlier, an unidentified police officer said that 10 workers had been detained in connection with the protest, PTI reported. The group was heard shouting slogans and holding placards about the prime minister.

“They were removed immediately and were taken to Tilak Marg police station,” PTI quoted the police officer as saying. “No one will be allowed to breach law and order situation.”

The four arrested workers will be produced in the Patiala House Court during the day, ANI quoted unidentified police officers as saying. Several serious charges will be applied in the first information report, they added.

The officers also claimed that the workers had engaged in a prolonged scuffle with the police, adding that a “larger conspiracy” was being investigated.

On social media, the Indian Youth Congress said that its workers had raised their voices against the allegedly “compromised prime minister” who had “traded the country’s honour”.

The youth wing added that it was trying to “expose this truth”.

Delhi Police said that it was taking legal action against the protesters, ANI reported. Checks were underway to find out whether they had entered the venue using passes or a QR code.

The five-day summit at the Bharat Mandapam, which began on Monday, has been promoted as the first major gathering on artificial intelligence in the Global South. Twenty world leaders, executives from major technology companies and exhibitors from 30 countries attended the event.

National shame, says BJP

The Bharatiya Janata Party described the protest by the Indian Youth Congress as a “national shame”.

“At a time when India is hosting a prestigious global AI summit, showcasing its innovation and leadership in technology, the Congress party chose disruption over dignity,” the Hindutva party said.

The Congress workers had gone “topless and created a ruckus” at the venue, the BJP said, alleging that the act was “clearly designed to embarrass India on the world stage”.

“When the nation is striving to position itself as a global technology powerhouse, such conduct only serves the interests of those who wish to see India falter,” the BJP said.

It added that while political opposition is a democratic right, “sabotaging India’s global image is not”.

Commenting on legal action being taken against the Indian Youth Congress workers, the unit’s chief Uday Bhanu Chib told ANI that his colleagues will not be intimidated.

“The BJP can go to any lengths, but we are soldiers of the Constitution, soldiers of Rahul Gandhi,” he told the news agency. “We won’t back down. We will raise our voice for the youth of the country.”

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has been claiming since February 3 that Modi has been “compromised”, adding that he has “sold out” the “sweat and blood” of the country’s farmers by buckling under pressure from the United States to finalise a trade deal.

The Opposition leader had said that the trade deal that had been suspended for four months, “for some reason that Prime Minister Modi and I know”, was signed on February 2.

The two countries had announced that the US had agreed to cut tariffs imposed on India to 18%. New Delhi said it will reduce its tariff and non-tariff barriers on US goods.

Gandhi had claimed that Modi was under “enormous pressure”, adding that the prime minister’s image that had been “inflated with thousands of crores could burst”.

The Opposition leader said that Indian farmers should understand that there had been a “sell-out” of their hard work, and their blood and sweat, by the prime minister through this deal.

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