New Delhi [India], September 14 (ANI): Congress MP Pawan Khera on Monday sharply questioned the outcomes of the 18th BRICS Summit, arguing that key strategic and geopolitical concerns went unaddressed during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's bilateral talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Speaking to ANI, Khera criticised the language used in the New Delhi Declaration, stating that it condemned the Pahalgam terror attack without naming Pakistan and addressed the West Asia tensions without issuing a clear condemnation.
"Why don't we speak openly?" he asked.
"Let's look beyond the joint declaration and focus on India's core issues. During the bilateral talks with China, did we raise the issues related to Ladakh and Arunachal? Has the pre-May/June 2020 status quo in Ladakh been restored? Did we question China's role in assisting Pakistan during 'Operation Sindoor'? We lost 20 of our soldiers in Galwan; we certainly won't forget them. You can keep holding bilateral talks and issuing joint statements," Khera said.
He further asked whether discussions on the Chabahar Port with Iran had progressed.
"The situation today is such that in joint declarations, we speak of Pahalgam without naming Pakistan. We speak of West Asia without issuing a condemnation," he added.
On the economic front, Khera questioned the trade benefits India has gained from BRICS, asking, "If you were to exclude China from BRICS for a moment, where will our BRICS trade stand? It is crucial for us to ask where India stands today."
The New Delhi Declaration, adopted unanimously on the opening day of the 18th BRICS Summit in September 2026, is being seen as a major diplomatic win for India, with the bloc explicitly condemning the April 22, 2025 Pahalgam terror attack and taking a unified stand against cross-border terrorism.
On April 22, 2025, terrorists attacked tourists in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, killing 26 people and injuring several others. Indian agencies traced the attack to Pakistan-backed operatives. In response, India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, 2025, targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
The Declaration titled "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability" contains some of the strongest counter-terror language adopted by BRICS so far.
Leaders called for zero tolerance towards terrorism in all forms, stating that all terrorist acts are criminal and unjustifiable. Member states were urged to reject double standards in countering terrorism. The text targets cross-border movement of terrorists, terror financing and safe havens.
It called for joint action against all UN-designated terrorists and entities. Concerns were flagged over illicit financial flows, money laundering, cyber fraud and cross-border scam networks used to fund extremist activities.
China joining the consensus on India-centric terror language, even without naming Pakistan, is seen as significant, coming ahead of talks between PM Modi and President Xi Jinping. Unlike the recent SCO meetings where consensus on Pahalgam could not be reached, BRICS managed to adopt a joint condemnation. The stance aligns with similar condemnations earlier made by groupings like the Quad.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Chinese President also held a bilateral meeting, strengthening the bilateral ties between the two neighbouring countries.
During the meeting, Xi Jinping said China and India should view their bilateral ties from a strategic perspective, keeping in mind the long-term development of relations. "China-India relations have developed, with both sides keeping in mind the long-term development of bilateral relations from a strategic perspective,” Xi said during his meeting with PM Modi.
Xi said that although China and India are different, the two countries have been able to “support and help each other to achieve common development.” The Chinese President noted that this was his second visit to New Delhi in 12 years and said the two leaders had met more than 20 times during the period, leading to “a series of important consensuses".
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during the bilateral meeting, expressed gratitude to China for its support and cooperation during India's BRICS chairship. (ANI)
"Did we raise issues related to Ladakh, Arunachal?": Pawan Khera on PM Modi-Xi bilateral talks during BRICS Summit
