BRICS Declaration draws BJP praise over Pahalgam terror condemnation, Opposition questions govt's handling of border issues with China

India hosted the 18th BRICS Summit under its 2026 Chairmanship on September 12-13, with the New Delhi Declaration unanimously adopted by BRICS leaders. The declaration's condemnation of terrorism, along with discussions on global cooperation, development and the changing international order, emerged as key points in political reactions to the summit.

BJP leader Smriti Irani described the declaration as an important moment in the evolution of BRICS and said it sent an unequivocal message against terrorism.

"The New Delhi Declaration marks an important moment in the evolution of BRICS, and in the continuing rebalancing of the global order. Under Prime Minister Shri @NarendraModi Jis leadership, Indias Chairship has advanced a clear proposition: global institutions must become more representative, development must remain at the heart of international cooperation, and the voice of the Global South must carry greater weight in shaping the future," Irani said in a post on X.

"The unanimous Declaration places resilience, innovation and sustainability at the centre of BRICS cooperation, while sending an unequivocal message of ZERO TOLERANCE towards terrorism, its financing and safe havens," she said.

BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad termed the BRICS Summit a "historic success" and said the grouping had emerged as an influential international platform under India's leadership.

"BRICS Summit has been a historic success. I congratulate the Prime Minister. Under Indias leadership, major countries like China, Russia, Iran, the UAE, South Africa and Brazil have created an alternative and influential international platform.... The strong condemnation of the Pahalgam terrorist attack is also a very significant development. Indias foreign policy has been highly successful under Prime Minister Modis leadership," Prasad said.

He added, "Economic relations were discussed, bilateral meetings were held, China extended a new hand of friendship towards India, and the leaders of Russia, Malaysia and Iran praised the PM Modi... Congress, which questioned the outcome of BRICS, should now answer."

BJP leader Karunasagar described the New Delhi Declaration as a "major diplomatic win for India", saying it reflected the country's growing influence in the changing global order.

"It is a major diplomatic win for India and a powerful reflection of the changing global order. Most importantly, BRICS has unequivocally condemned the Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed 26 innocent lives, and has strongly spoken against cross-border terrorism. This is significant because India has secured a clear multilateral condemnation of terrorism at a major global forum, strengthening our diplomatic position," he said.

BJP leader Ravinder Raina said the condemnation of the Pahalgam attack reflected the united resolve of major global powers against terrorism.

"At the BRICS summit underway in New Delhi, all major nations have unanimously condemned the Pahalgam terror attack. This makes it clear that major global powersincluding Russia and Chinahave unequivocally stated that there can be no support whatsoever for terrorism in a democracy," Raina said.

"Powerful nations of the world, united at the BRICS summit, are declaring that the terror attack in Pahalgam is an assault on humanity... It also reflects India's firm resolve, given the long battle it has waged against terrorism... Terrorism poses a grave threat to humanity," he added.

Jharkhand BJP spokesperson Pratul Shahdeo termed the condemnation of the Pahalgam terror attack a "fantastic diplomatic win" for India.

"Look, this is a fantastic diplomatic win for India. It really shows off our Prime Minister's leadership skills. It proves that countries making up 50% of the world's population, with 40% of the GDP and 26% of global trade, all came together on one platform and said that the cowardly attack in Pahalgam, where Hindus were specifically targeted and killed, is completely condemnable. I feel like this is a watershed moment," Shahdeo said.

Congress leaders, however, questioned the government's handling of China-related issues and sought greater transparency over the bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the summit.

Former External Affairs Minister and senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid said the government should brief the opposition on the discussions between Modi and Xi Jinping.

"What happened between the two sides, the Prime Minister's talks with the Chinese President, what points were raised, what was China's response to them, and what path forward has been considered? If the government openly shares its views on this with the opposition, then something can be said. These are points we have already hinted at, and on which we expect the government to provide some answers. To date, they haven't," Khurshid told ANI.

"This isn't a BRICS issue. Not every aspect of foreign policy will be limited to BRICS... But our foreign policy is its own place; it needs to be discussed separately," he said.

"We wanted the Indian government to sit with us, the opposition, and consult and negotiate with us, and tell us what we are going to do before the BRICS summit," Khurshid added.

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh questioned the government's approach towards China after the Modi-Xi meeting.

"Now that his bilateral summit with President Xi Jinping is over, here are four questions for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to which India continues to seek answers. Why has he weakened our position on border transgressions and Chinas role in Operation Sindoor while allowing dangerous levels of economic dependence?" Ramesh said in a post on X.

He also alleged that India's "traditional patrolling and grazing rights across large stretches of Eastern Ladakh have been quietly but definitely surrendered".

"Meanwhile, there have been reports of Chinese encroachment in Arunachal Pradesh, including loss of India's access to patrolling points and fresh standoffs. China's posture on Arunachal Pradesh has only hardened: renaming towns, reasserting claims to what it calls 'South Tibet', and pushing ahead with its 60,000-MW Medog mega-dam on the Brahmaputra's Great Bend, a project that gives it a stranglehold over the water security of our entire northeast," Ramesh said.

Congress leader Nana Patole questioned the Centre's approach towards China and said India should have used the BRICS platform to raise issues concerning territories claimed to have been occupied by China.

"China's leader has arrived here for the BRICS summit. 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. However, PM Modi isn't saying anything about this," Patole said.

Congress leader and AICC General Secretary Bhupesh Baghel criticised the BRICS declaration, saying it was incomplete as it did not mention the Galwan clash, Arunachal Pradesh or China's claims over the region.

"The point is that while they protested against the Pahalgam attack, albeit after so much time had passed, they did not deem 'Operation Sindoor' to be right... so that's incomplete. Nothing was said regarding Galwan or Arunachal, concerning the claims China is making about them," Baghel said.

Congress leader Pawan Khera also criticised the government over the vegetarian menu served to foreign dignitaries at the BRICS banquet, alleging that the BJP was imposing its dietary preferences on international guests.

"The BJPs habit of imposing its dietary preferences on fellow Indians is already deeply problematic. Now, they have taken it a step further by imposing their own choices on dignitaries from across the world," Khera said in a post on X.

"India is a rich, diverse, multi-cuisine country, home to some of the finest non-vegetarian delicacies that people across the world relish and enjoy. So why did the Modi government choose to hide this part of Indias culture? Is it ashamed of the diversity that makes India what it is?" he asked.

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi also commented on the menu, saying, "For the record: 80% of Indians are non-vegetarian. Indian non-vegetarian food is delicious. As are my sister's chole bhature."

Among other Opposition reactions, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said the BRICS Summit could not substitute for democratic accountability and effective governance.

"Events like this allow us to cooperate with other countries on many fronts, but for the dream of a Viksit Bharat, the state governments must also contribute and provide their support," Yadav said.

"You cannot ask questions of your state government. If someone asks you a question, you take action against them... If you are dreaming of a Viksit Bharat, at least there should be the freedom to ask questions in a democracy. Just having events, hiding some things, or keeping them under wraps does not create an accurate picture of you," he added.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut praised Iran's leadership while commenting on the summit.

"The President of Iran has come here to the Summit. He is a brave man like a lion.The whole world went against Iran. America and Israel tried everything to finish Iran, but couldnt. They fought their own battle," he said.

PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti described the New Delhi Declaration as a positive step, while saying India's foreign policy had changed in recent years.

"I believe the New Delhi Declaration is a very positive step. It condemned the Pahalgam attack and addressed the events in West Asiaspecifically the unilateral attacks and sanctionsas well as the situation in Gaza, issuing a strong statement. I feel that India is globally recognized for its commitment to human rights, humanity and democracy, and has always taken pride in its independent foreign policy and stance of non-alignmenta tradition dating back to the time of Jawaharlal Nehru," Mufti said.

Indias presidency, which began on January 1, 2026, is guided by the theme Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability, deploying a human-centric approach across its core pillars to reinforce institutional strength and support sustainable growth.

The grouping currently encompasses Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and the United Arab Emirates. Meanwhile, the roster of partner countries features Belarus, Cuba, Bolivia, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Nigeria, Thailand, Uganda, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam. (ANI)