NEW DELHI: BJP stepped up its attack on Congress as it likened its protest at the AI summit to treason and claimed that Rahul Gandhi was the inspiration for his party’s youth workers involved in the shirtless demonstration as he frequently defames India.Union minister Kiren Rijiju termed the protest as a “big crime” and “big sin” against the country, alleging that Congress tried to defame it when the world was lauding AI Impact Summit organised here under PM Narendra Modi’s leadership.Its frustration has grown so much over its repeated electoral failures, that it has turned “anti-national,” he alleged.He told a press conference, “If Congress had even an ounce of sensitivity towards the country, it would have introspected and apologised. Instead of expressing regret, Congress is justifying the misconduct of its members.”He said there is widespread anger across the country against the opposition party which turns sad and angry at the nation’s progress.Lashing out at Congress, BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi slammed the protesters as “flag-bearers of Lashkar-e-Rahul” who tried to tarnish India’s image. “What the Congress has done cannot be dismissed as mere negative politics, it amounts to treason,” Trivedi alleged.So far Rahul used to make derogatory and offensive statements about India abroad, he claimed and then added, “Now the flag-bearers and sepoys of Lashkar-e-Rahul are trying to tarnish India’s image in front of foreign guests.”He alleged that the protest at the AI summit venue was a “shameful display” of the Congress’ “pettiness and nakedness”.