The 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi adopted the New Delhi Declaration, triggering a sharp political confrontation between the BJP and Congress.
BJP leaders Nitin Nabin and Pradeep Bhandari hailed the declaration's explicit condemnation of the Pahalgam terror attack as a major diplomatic victory for India.
Congress MP Pawan Khera criticised the government for using green curtains and temporary barricades to screen off slum clusters along key transit routes in New Delhi.
The BRICS New Delhi Declaration became a political flashpoint on Saturday after the BJP hailed its adoption as a diplomatic gain and Congress attacked the government’s summit optics in the capital.
The declaration was adopted at the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi and condemned the Pahalgam terror attack. International leaders gathered in the city for the summit as the ruling party projected the outcome as proof of India’s ability to build agreement within BRICS.
Congress, however, used both the declaration and the summit arrangements to target the government. The opposition questioned the image the administration tried to present to visiting leaders and linked that criticism to a wider attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s record.
BJP Hails Consensus
The BJP moved quickly to claim the declaration as a win. BJP president Nitin Nabin said the text showed India’s resolve to build consensus on issues affecting developing countries. On X, he wrote, “Bharat Leads BRICS 2026 , The Global South Gains a Stronger Voice.”
BJP national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari called the declaration’s condemnation of the Pahalgam terror attack a “big diplomatic win”. He added, “No ambiguity. No double standards. On Pahalgam , BRICS is on the same page.”
The ruling party framed the wording as a sign that BRICS members had closed ranks on a security issue India had pushed. That gave the BJP a clear domestic line as the summit drew attention in New Delhi.
Congress Targets Summit
Congress sharpened its attack on the government’s optics. Congress MP Pawan Khera criticised the government over large green curtains and temporary barricades that screened slum clusters along key transit routes in New Delhi. He shared a video on X showing screened-off low-income neighbourhoods as foreign leaders arrived for the summit.
In that post, Khera wrote, “Not all ‘hijabs’ are unacceptable to the BJP. The one that veils Modi’s failures is their favourite.” He argued that the barriers were meant to hide India’s socioeconomic realities from visiting foreign dignitaries rather than address poverty.
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh also weighed in after the declaration referred to the “Bandung Spirit”. Recalling Jawaharlal Nehru’s notes from the 1955 Bandung Conference, he said, “Remember that old Bollywood hit song, ‘Tu jahan chalega, mera saaya saath hoga’.”
Backdrop And Pushback
The screening was part of a wider civic beautification and security drive across corridors linking Indira Gandhi International Airport, central Delhi and Bharat Mandapam, the summit venue. Similar steps had drawn political criticism during the G20 Summit in 2023.
Opposition voices argued that public money used for temporary covers and barricades should instead go to housing and urban welfare projects. Government agencies, on the other hand, maintained that the screening followed standard protocol tied to security, traffic management and aesthetic uniformity along ceremonial routes.
The BJP answered that criticism politically. BJP Rajasthan president Madan Rathore said, “Other countries praise us, but the opposition can’t tolerate this, so they are making such statements.”
