Akhilesh Yadav calls BJP govt a ‘laughing stock’, says AI summit yielded no gains

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday launched a sharp attack on the BJP-led Centre over the controversy surrounding the India AI Summit in Delhi, claiming the government had turned itself into a “laughing stock” and failed to secure any tangible benefits from the high-profile event.

In a statement issued from the party headquarters, Yadav alleged that the much-publicised summit, projected as a milestone in India’s technological growth, ended up damaging the country’s image instead. He said the BJP received nothing but criticism from across the world due to the event.

Calling out what he described as mismanagement, Yadav remarked that while artificial intelligence is often presented as a solution to every problem, the summit itself became a problem for the ruling party. He pointed to issues such as traffic congestion, chaotic parking, security concerns, and overall mismanagement , suggesting that these realities contradicted the grand claims made around the event.

The SP leader also criticised the alleged presentation of a Chinese-made robot , saying it should not have been showcased as an indigenous achievement. According to him, such incidents embarrassed the country and weakened the government’s ‘Make in India’ narrative.

The summit, held at Bharat Mandapam, was attended by several international delegates, including presidents and prime ministers. It also witnessed a brief protest by workers of the Indian Youth Congress, who raised slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi before being removed by security personnel.

However, government sources and summit organisers maintained that the AI Impact Summit was a grand success , drawing participation from foreign dignitaries, global policymakers, and CEOs of leading technology firms. They said the event underscored India’s growing role in artificial intelligence and sent a strong message that the country’s AI ambitions have full government backing. Officials also highlighted international collaborations and industry engagements as key outcomes of the conclave. The scale of attendance and international engagement signalled strong global interest, while also conveying that India’s embrace of artificial intelligence has clear policy direction and firm government backing.