Who were the shirtless protesters at AI Impact Summit

Ajay Kumar Sainthwar (30), IYC UP unit vice-president

Hailing from eastern Uttar Pradesh’s Deoria, Ajay Kumar Sainthwar is the son of a retired Army personnel. An active member of the IYC, he had contested the election for IYC president for UP in 2023, but lost. He was then appointed the vice-president of the IYC’s UP unit.

An ardent follower of Rahul Gandhi, the IYC office-bearer — who hails from the OBC Kurmi community — has a graduate degree from a university in Gorakhpur and is described as a “hardworking foot soldier” of the Congress and IYC. After retirement, his father farms a small piece of land in Deoria district, said Congress leaders in UP. Sainthwar has been involved in campaigning for candidates in the recent Bihar, Haryana and Delhi elections.

Narasimha Yadav (34); IYC National Coordinator

Narasimha Yadav grew up in Hyderabad and has been an active office-bearer of the IYC. He has been involved in protests against the BJP and the Union government and is considered a person who is “good at planning movements and protests”, said sources in the Congress. Yadav has a graduate degree from Hyderabad’s Karuna PG College.

Kundan Yadav (26), IYC Bihar state secretary

Hailing from Bihar’s Vaishali district, Kundan Yadav has been an active IYC member for the last few years. He has a graduate degree from a college in Bihar and has been vocal on social justice issues like unemployment and price rise, among others, said Congress leaders. Yadav comes from a humble background and has worked his way up in the IYC Bihar unit, they added.