Rupee falls 23 paise to 89.94 against US dollar in early trade
Mumbai (PTI): The rupee depreciated 23 paise to 89.94 against the US dollar in early trade on Friday, weighed down by foreign fund outflows and recovery in crude oil prices.
Forex traders said a negative trend in domestic equities, dollar demand from importers, and trade deal uncertainty further dented investor sentiment.
At the interbank foreign exchange, the local unit opened at 89.84 against the dollar but lost ground to trade at 89.94, down 23 paise from its previous close.
On Wednesday, the rupee pared initial gains and settled for the day lower by eight paise at 89.71 against the US dollar.
Forex and equity markets were closed on Thursday for Christmas.
After strengthening to the 89.00 level last week, the rupee has again started to weaken in holiday-thin trade, with FPIs continuing to sell equity and buy dollars after a brief pause, said Anil Kumar Bhansali, Head of Treasury and Executive Director at Finrex Treasury Advisors LLP.
Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, was trading 0.08 per cent lower at 97.89.
Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, was trading 0.16 per cent higher at USD 62.34 per barrel in futures trade.
On the domestic equity market front, the 30-share benchmark index Sensex declined 183.42 points to 85,225.28 in early trade, while the Nifty dipped 46.45 points to 26,095.65.
Foreign institutional investors offloaded equities worth Rs 1,721.26 crore on Wednesday, according to exchange data.
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Topless, brainless, shameless: BJP slams Congress over protest at AI summit, calls Rahul 'traitor'
New Delhi (PTI): The BJP slammed the Congress on Friday for a protest staged by the party's youth wing at the ongoing India AI Impact Summit here, alleging that a "ruckus" was created at the venue of the event on opposition leader Rahul Gandhi's directions to sabotage the country's image before the world.
A group of India Youth Congress (IYC) workers on Friday staged a brief protest at an exhibition hall of Bharat Mandapam, the venue of the AI summit, raising slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, before being whisked away by security personnel.
A senior police officer said around 10 people were detained when they were protesting at the venue of the summit.
Hitting out at the opposition party for the protest, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said, "For the Congress, I have just three words -- topless, brainless and shameless."
He alleged that the Youth Congress held the protest at the behest of Gandhi.
"It was pre-planned. The Congress workers did not just enter the venue randomly. They had pre-registered for the event and obtained a bar code for entry to the venue," Patra said at a press conference at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) headquarters here.
"The entire planning was done at Rahul Gandhi's residence, in the presence of Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. It was not an experiment," Patra claimed.
He alleged that the protest at the summit venue was not an "experiment" but a "deliberate attempt" by Rahul Gandhi to malign India's image.
"Rahul Gandhi and the Congress are traitors of the highest order. Whenever the country is progressing, they will definitely do something to spoil the atmosphere. They are traitors," the BJP leader said.
Reacting sharply to the development, Union minister Piyush Goyal said the protest put the Congress's "arrogance and frustration on display", and asked Gandhi if "humiliating" India to target the BJP-led Centre is his "idea of opposition".
"While you want to choke India's development by peddling lies about the recent trade deals, your foot soldiers are marching shirtless at the prestigious AI Summit, attempting to embarrass 140 crore Indians globally," the senior BJP leader said in a post on X, flaying Gandhi over the protest.
"This disruption strategy only exposes your (Gandhi) and your party's lack of vision for India," Goyal added.
Union minister Gajendra Shekhawat also hit out at Gandhi over the protest, saying it is not surprising to see the followers of the "pea-brained and immature" Congress leader take their shirts off and run around vulgarly at the summit venue.
"Remember, when their pea-brained, immature leader Rahul Gandhi laughs in front of a dead body and wipes his nose on his own party president in public, it's no surprise then that his followers strip their shirts and run around vulgarly at an AI Summit," he said in a post on X.
"Leadership sets the standard, and this is exactly what they reflect," he added.
BJP leader Amit Malviya said, "At a time when India is hosting a prestigious global AI Summit, showcasing its innovation and leadership in technology, the Congress party chose disruption over dignity."
The IT department head of the saffron party criticised the Youth Congress workers for taking their shirts off and creating a ruckus at the summit venue, saying the act was "clearly designed to embarrass India on the world stage".
When the country is striving to position itself as a global technology powerhouse, such conduct only serves the interests of those who wish to see it falter, he added.
"Political opposition is a democratic right, but sabotaging India's global image is not," Malviya said in a post on X, stressing, "India deserves better."
Reacting sharply to the protest, BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari wrote on X: "Shame on Congress Party. Congress behaves like Urban Naxals. Cong is an anti-India party."
He alleged that the Youth Congress workers stormed the summit venue and raised "objectionable slogans on the instructions of Rahul Gandhi".
"Rahul Gandhi, Congress and Gandhi-Vadra family should apologise to the country and its youth," Bhandari said.
Meanwhile, a picture has surfaced on the social media, in which Gandhi is seen walking along with Narsimha Yadav, who allegedly organised the protest at the AI summit venue.
Patra claimed that Yadav is the national coordinator of the Congress's youth wing.
