Congress Voices Differ Over BRICS Summit

Ahead of the prestigious BRICS Summit scheduled to be held in New Delhi on the 12th and 13th of this month, differing views among senior Congress leaders have gained political significance. Senior leader P. Chidambaram questioned the tangible benefits India has received from the last two or three BRICS meetings. He said that although India is part of several multilateral groupings, including BRICS, SCO, G20 and QUAD, it was difficult to understand what clear and visible benefits the country had gained from recent BRICS meetings.

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, however, highlighted the diplomatic importance of the BRICS platform and India’s role in it. He said India was providing an important platform for countries of the Global South and described hosting the 2026 BRICS Summit as a matter of prestige for the country. Tharoor noted that BRICS represents more than half of the world’s population and 41 percent of global GDP. The BJP strongly reacted to Chidambaram’s remarks, accusing Congress leaders of making statements that undermine India’s rise and development. India is hosting the BRICS Summit for the fourth time under the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability.” Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, along with leaders of member and partner countries, are expected to attend.