Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Thursday praised the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, saying the first couple of days had gone “extremely well” and that “some glitches” can happen at any “large event”. He said what has been impressive is the attendance of presidents, prime ministers and world leaders, who have come with a strong message about building a newly integrated world in artificial intelligence development.

While noting that the initial days of the summit went “extremely well”, Tharoor acknowledged there had been “some glitches”, adding that such issues are common at large events. His remarks came a day after former Congress president Rahul Gandhi dubbed the ongoing AI Summit in Delhi a “disorganised PR spectacle” and alleged that Chinese products were being showcased there.

"Instead of leveraging India's talent and data, the AI summit is a disorganised PR spectacle - Indian data up for sale, Chinese products showcased," Gandhi said in a post on X.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and other senior party leaders have also criticised the event, saying alleged mismanagement had resulted in “embarrassment” for the country. Responding to a reporter’s question after the launch of his new book on Narayana Guru, Tharoor said, “Though I have not had the chance to go to the summit, I am speaking there tomorrow. From what I understand, these first couple of days have gone extremely well. There have been some glitches, some organisational issues. These things happen at a large event.”

“But by and large, what has been impressive is the attendance. A number of presidents, prime ministers and world leaders are here, and they’ve come with a strong message of wanting to see a newly integrated world in AI development, where the impact on society would be the principal focus,” he said. “India has clearly led the drive in this area,” he added.

Asked about French President Emmanuel Macron’s remarks on the procurement of Rafale jets by India and the Make in India component of the deal, Tharoor said parts of the French Rafale are being manufactured in India.

He described this as an important aspect of the agreement, as it strengthens defence capabilities while increasing India’s self-reliance in the sector. “Defence is important for India not because we want to go to war, but because we don’t want others to think we are so weak that they can be tempted to go to war. It is defensive defence, literally, and that is what we are working for. I support the government on that,” he said.

On the upcoming film Kerala Story 2, Tharoor said the first film, The Kerala Story, was a “hate-mongering film”. “They were saying that thousands of people were converted, which is not true. I think there were around 30 such cases over a number of years. Ours is a very big country. If a case occurs here and there, it does not mean you should turn it into a big story and use it as propaganda,” he said. “In our childhood, films like 'Amar Akbar Anthony' used to get entertainment tax exemptions," he added.