A political row has erupted over the BRICS Summit, set to begin Friday evening, with Congress MP P Chidambaram questioning the tangible benefits India has gained from such events, even as the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) questioned the opposition party’s approach to diplomacy.
India, BRICS Chair for 2026, will host the 18th summit at Bharat Mandapam till Sunday, on the theme ‘Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability’. The BJP was quick to hit back. Senior party leader Nalin Kohli raised questions on the Congress’ diplomacy. “This raises questions on how Congress views diplomacy. The Congress during its tenure called Pakistan a victim of terror while it is a perpetrator of terrorism,” he was quoted as saying by NDTV. He also accused the Congress of trying to play politics over a big and important event.
“Does Congress see diplomacy purely in terms of give and take that it is asking about tangible benefits,” he added. On Wednesday, Chidambaram said India is part of several multilateral groupings, including BRICS, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), G20 and QUAD, but questioned what concrete benefits the country has received from them.
