Trinamool's Babul Supriyo flays Youth Congress' 'shirtless protest' at AI summit

Kolkata, Feb 22 (IANS) Actor and singer-turned politician and West Bengal Minister, Supriyo Baral, popularly referred to as Babul Supriyo, echoed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in strongly criticising the "shirtless protest" by Youth Congress workers at the India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi.

Supriyo, a former two-time BJP Lok Sabha member and also a former Union minister of state, resigned from the BJP and joined Trinamool Congress immediately after the results for the 2021 West Bengal Assembly elections were announced.

Later, he got elected as a Trinamool Congress legislator in a bypoll and was made West Bengal Information Technology and Electronics Minister.

Now, his social media post slamming the "shirtless protests" by the Youth Congress workers at the AI summit has raised the eyebrows in political circles, especially when the Trinamool Congress leadership had maintained a strategic silence on the issue.

"The shirtless protest by members of the Indian Youth Congress at the AI Summit reflects poor judgment. At a forum attended by international leaders and global business figures, such conduct sends the wrong message about our national priorities," Supriyo said in his social media post.

According to him, while democracy guaranteed the right to protest, it also demanded responsibility. "When representing India before the world, partisan theatrics must give way to maturity and restraint," Supriyo added.

Political differences could be fought relentlessly but never at the expense of the nation's honour and dignity, he said.

Trinamool Congress leaders have so far maintained silence over Supriyo's observations in the matter. However, party sources close to him had claimed that Supriyo’s observations were beyond his current political identity since he himself is the state Information Technology and Electronics Minister.

"The summit at which the 'shirtless protests' were conducted at the national capital has links with the state department that he is heading. So naturally, as the minister of that department, such an observation on his part is natural," said a Trinamool Congress leader close to Supriyo, who did not wish to be named.