Agencies | New Delhi:
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor’s praise for India’s hosting of the BRICS Summit has given the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) fresh political ammunition against the opposition party, coming a day after senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram questioned the tangible benefits India has derived from the grouping.
While Chidambaram expressed doubts over the outcomes of recent BRICS summits, Tharoor described India’s decision to host the gathering as a matter of significant diplomatic prestige and underlined the grouping’s importance for the Global South.
The BJP was quick to highlight the apparent contrast in the Congress’s positions.
“Congress exposes Congress! …Congress MP exposes ‘Naraz Fufa’ of Congress who were opposing BRICS on instructions of Rahul Gandhi!” BJP national media co-in-charge and spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari said in a post on X.
Speaking ahead of the BRICS Summit in Delhi, Tharoor described the grouping as an important platform for the Global South and pointed to the scale and diversity of its membership.
He said the 11 BRICS countries collectively represent a majority of the world’s population and account for around 41 per cent of global GDP.
Tharoor also stressed the diplomatic significance of India hosting leaders from BRICS member countries as well as observers at the presidential and prime-ministerial level.
He described the gathering as a demonstration of India’s “diplomatic convening power”, arguing that the ability to bring together a large number of world leaders has value in itself on the global stage.
His remarks come as India seeks to strengthen its role as a voice for the Global South while maintaining diplomatic relationships with countries that often have divergent positions on major international issues.
Tharoor, however, did not portray BRICS as an organisation without shortcomings.
He acknowledged that differences among member states can make it difficult to reach consensus on major global issues.
He cited disagreements over the Iran war and the Russia-Ukraine conflict, noting that BRICS foreign ministers had previously failed to agree on a joint statement, resulting instead in a chair’s declaration issued by India.
Tharoor said the ability of member countries to overcome such differences and reach a common position would remain a major challenge for Indian diplomats.
He also pointed to an economic concern for India, saying that although trade among BRICS countries has expanded, the pattern has not always worked in New Delhi’s favour.
According to Tharoor, India’s exports to BRICS countries have declined while imports from the grouping have increased, creating a trade imbalance that also needs to be addressed.
Tharoor’s comments came a day after former Union minister and senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram questioned whether India had secured sufficient tangible benefits from its participation in BRICS and other multilateral groupings.
Speaking to news agency ANI on Thursday, Chidambaram compared BRICS with platforms such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), G20 and QUAD, and questioned what concrete gains India had received from its participation.
He argued that while earlier BRICS summits had produced tangible outcomes, he had not seen comparable benefits from the more recent meetings.
The comments provided an opportunity for the BJP to attack the Congress over what it portrayed as contradictory positions on India’s international standing.
Bhandari accused the Congress of opposing national achievements when they enhance India’s international profile.
Speaking to ANI, he alleged that the opposition party was displaying a “Fear Of Missing Out” mentality and sought to portray the differences between Tharoor and Chidambaram as evidence of an internal contradiction within the Congress.
The BJP spokesperson also invoked the phrase “Naraz Fufa” while criticising those questioning the significance of the BRICS Summit being hosted by India.
The Congress has not formally presented Tharoor’s remarks as an endorsement of every aspect of the BRICS grouping. In fact, the Congress MP himself acknowledged its limitations, including difficulties in achieving consensus and concerns over India’s trade balance.
The contrasting remarks from the two Congress leaders, however, have given the BJP an opportunity to turn a debate over the effectiveness of BRICS into a broader political argument over India’s diplomatic influence and global standing.
