Congress Questions BRICS Declaration, Says No Mention Of Ladakh, Arunachal

The opposition Congress has questioned the progress made in the BRICS meeting, contending that it is not a win when Arunachal, Ladakh or even the Pahalgam terror attack were not mentioned.  LIVE Updates

The BRICS New Delhi Declaration adopted on Saturday called for reforms of multilateral institutions and strongly condemned terrorism. Among other things, it also denounced "unilateral acts of war" amid the ongoing war in the Middle East. 

"China's leader has arrived here for the BRICS summit," said senior Congress leader Nana Patole. 

"Considering how China has occupied territories like Arunachal and Ladakh, the Prime Minister should speak bluntly and demand China's withdrawal. That would be the greatest benefit India could derive from this summit," he said. 

"However, PM Modi isn't saying anything about this. Consequently, the public is deeply concerned, wondering if PM Modi has effectively surrendered to China," he added. 

On the condemnation of the Pahalgam terror attack in the 'New Delhi Declaration', Congress' Rashid Alvi said: "The Delhi Declaration that has been issued condemns terrorism and the Pahalgam incident, but does it state anywhere who carried out the Pahalgam attack? Does it mention anywhere who is perpetrating terrorism globally? There is no mention of that".

"No one would support terrorism, but the question is, who is doing it... What is the point of a declaration where one cannot even identify who is committing the theft?... That's why this is not a diplomatic win at all," Alvi added. 

Uttar Pradesh state Congress president Ajay Rai said the actual benefit of BRICS is still unclear. 

"The Central government organises grand events. We still have to see how much the public and the nation actually benefit from them," he said.

"While a vast number of people have gathered here, the extent of the benefit for the country's citizens remains to be seen. That will become clear in the future," he added. 

India is hosting the BRICS Summit over the week-end, bringing together leaders from the bloc's 11 member countries, 10 partner nations and several international organisations. 

During his discussions with Xi Jinping, PM Modi had emphasised that stability along the border remains central to the future of India-China relations.

"The two leaders expressed commitment to a fair, reasonable, and mutually acceptable resolution of the boundary question," the foreign ministry said in a statement. 

The declaration also condemned the Pahalgam terror attack in "strongest terms".

"We also emphasise the importance of countering extremism and radicalisation specially among the younger generations and further stress the need to enhance cooperation among the Brics countries and their competent authorities, including through sharing of best practices," the members said.

The bloc is seeking to leverage its growing self-reliance on multiple spheres, From food and energy to rare earths and strategic maritime routes, as sanctions, tariffs and trade restrictions are reshaping global commerce.