Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi
New Delhi, Sep 10: A political row has erupted between the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) after former finance minister P Chidambaram questioned the tangible benefits India has gained from recent BRICS Summits.
With India set to host the 18th BRICS Leaders’ Summit in New Delhi on September 12 and 13, Chidambaram said the country is part of several major multilateral groupings, including BRICS, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), G20 and QUAD, but questioned what concrete benefits they have delivered for India.
“I don't think the last two or three BRICS summits have resulted in tangible benefits or tangible results,” Chidambaram told.
“In fact, we are part of BRICS, we are part of SCO, we are part of 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 added.
The remarks drew a sharp response from the BJP, which accused the Congress of viewing diplomacy through a transactional lens.
BJP MP Nalin Kohli said it was surprising that Chidambaram and the Congress were questioning the significance of the summit at a time when India is hosting a major international gathering.
“It is a surprise to note the statement of Chidambaram and the Congress Party, particularly at a time when India is hosting such an important event, the BRICS summit, where many heads of state and heads of government will come,” Kohli said.
He pointed out that the summit would provide opportunities for direct and one-on-one meetings between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and visiting leaders.
Kohli questioned whether the Congress viewed diplomacy as a transaction, asking, “What is the intent of the Congress Party? Is diplomacy to be seen as a transaction, like the Congress Party is projecting? What have I done for you? What will you do for me?”
He also criticised the Congress's approach to foreign policy and said Chidambaram was attempting to make a political point by questioning the summit's tangible outcomes.
“The Congress party certainly raises questions about itself when it asks and points out the so-called tangible results and questions the BRICS summit in Delhi,” Kohli said.
India assumed the BRICS chairship on January 1, 2026, for the fourth time, having previously held it in 2012, 2016 and 2021. The year also marks 20 years since the establishment of BRICS.
The 18th BRICS Leaders’ Summit will be held at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi on September 12 and 13. The programme includes closed-door sessions for BRICS members, the Bharat Innovates exhibition, a leaders’ family photograph, a joint tree-planting exercise and a gala dinner hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The second day will feature the arrival of partner-country leaders and outreach invitees, followed by an open session focusing on resilience, innovation, cooperation and sustainability.
BRICS is a political and diplomatic coordination forum for countries of the Global South, with cooperation broadly centred on political and security issues, economic and financial matters, and cultural and people-to-people exchanges.
The grouping currently has 11 full members — Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Indonesia became a full member in January 2025.
BRICS also has a partner-country category, comprising Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Nigeria, Thailand, Uganda, Uzbekistan and Vietnam. Partner countries are generally invited to the leaders’ summit and can participate in other BRICS meetings subject to consensus among member countries.