Delhi AI Summit: 10 detained for staging protest at expo hall

A group of India Youth Congress (IYC) workers staged a brief protest at an exhibition hall of the AI Impact Summit and raised slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, before being whisked away by the security personnel.

A senior police officer said that around 10 people were detained when they were protesting at the AI Summit.

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

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The protesters marched inside Hall No 5, wearing or holding white T-shirts with images of Prime Minister Modi and U.S. President Donald Trump printed on them along with slogans such as “India-U.S. Trade Deal”, “Epstein Files” and “PM is compromised”, soon resulting in a commotion.

The ensuing melee witnessed heated exchanges between some of the attendees of the mega event and a few protesters.

While the protesters carried no party flags or any symbols to suggest they had any political affiliation, one of them claimed that he was “from the Indian Youth Congress”.

A Delhi Police personnel on duty said they are going to heighten security inside the halls after the “unfortunate episode”.

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The protest, which lasted a few minutes before the group was bundled out of the hall, caught the guests and other visitors by surprise, many of whom watched the unfolding scenes in disbelief, given the significance of the AI Summit that India is hosting.

The AI Impact Summit is being held from February 16-20 at Bharat Mandapam, in which several heads of state, many global AI leaders, academicians and researchers, and heads of global tech giants, and philanthropists are taking part.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi, in the presence of several world leaders and heads of global tech giants.

As the protesters marched out of the hall and towards the lobby and stood against a massive backdrop mounted there shouting the “PM is compromised”, a guest carrying an authenticated entry badge told them that it is they “who were compromised” as this episode “tarnished the image of India”. The guest urged security personnel to whisk them away from the venue.

A student from Ludhiana, who visited the Impact Arena at the summit venue on Friday (February 20, 2026), said general visitors have to register online from the summit website and a QR code comes on the e-mail, which carries the name and identity of their organisation or institution, and this QR code is used to enter the premises at Bharat Mandapam.