Sultanpur

Activists of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) on Saturday staged a protest in Sultanpur, burning the effigy of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in response to the recent ‘shirtless protest’ by Indian Youth Congress workers at the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi.

The demonstration was held near the Collectorate, where BJYM office-bearers and workers raised slogans against Gandhi in the presence of police personnel. BJYM district president Chandan Narayan Singh said the protest was organised to condemn what he described as an attempt to tarnish India’s image during an international event.

Following the protest, BJYM representatives submitted a memorandum to the District Magistrate and City Magistrate Preeti Jain, demanding identification of those involved in the incident and strict legal action against them.

A group of Indian Youth Congress workers had on Friday staged a ‘shirtless protest’ inside an exhibition hall during the AI Impact Summit, displaying T-shirts carrying slogans against the government and the India–US trade deal.

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Four persons have been arrested in connection with the incident. Reacting to the arrests, IYC national president Uday Bhanu Chib said the organisation was not opposing the AI Summit itself, but was protesting against what it perceived as any compromise with India’s national interests.