No tangible benefits for India from BRICS, says Chidambaram
What's the story
Senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP P Chidambaram has questioned the tangible benefits India has gained from past BRICS summits. He said he hasn't seen any tangible results from the last two or three summits. With India set to host the 2026 BRICS Summit in Delhi, Chidambaram wondered if being part of major international groupings like BRICS, SCO, G20, and Quad had brought concrete gains for India.
Diplomatic scrutiny
'Last 2 or 3 BRICS summits...'
"I don't know how many Presidents and how many Prime Ministers are coming. I don't think...last two or three BRICS summits have resulted in tangible benefits or tangible results," Chidambaram told ANI.
"In fact, we are part of BRICS...SCO...G20, and we are part of QUAD. What benefits are we getting out of that? I can't see. In the last two or three summits, I didn't see any benefits. Earlier, the BRICS Summits resulted in some tangible benefits," he said.
Chairmanship theme
India assumes BRICS chairmanship in 2026
India is taking over the BRICS chairmanship for the fourth time in 2026. The chairmanship is guided by the theme "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability," with a focus on a people-centric and humanity-first approach.
Chidambaram's remarks have been met with criticism from Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders.
"This raises question on how Congress views diplomacy. The Congress during its tenure called Pakistan a victim of terror while it is a perpetrator of terrorism," BJP leader Nalin Kohli said.
Spokesperson
Mindset is akin to that of 'Naaraz Fufa': BJP
BJP Spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari invoked the Naaraz Fufa epithet recently used by Prime Minister Narendra Modi against opposition leaders, saying, "This mindset is akin to that of a 'Naaraz Fufa' (disgruntled uncle), the kind who stays perpetually offended."
"Senior Congress leaders are beginning to realize that they may never see Rahul Gandhi become Prime Minister in their lifetime, nor will the Congress ever get the opportunity to host BRICS Summit... Congress is experiencing FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out)," he said.