New Delhi, Sep 11 (IANS) Congress leader Udit Raj on Friday questioned the practical usefulness of the BRICS summit and called upon the Centre to clearly explain the economic and strategic benefits India has derived from such international platforms.
Amid differing views within the Congress on the BRICS event, Udit Raj, on party colleague Shashi Tharoor’s praise for India hosting the summit, said that being in the Opposition does not mean criticising the government on every issue, but an event should be praised only if it delivers tangible benefits to the country.
On the contrasting positions of former Union Minister P Chidambaram and Tharoor, Raj told IANS that it should not be viewed as a contradiction within the party.
While Tharoor described hosting BRICS as a prestigious opportunity, Chidambaram, as an economist, questioned the actual economic benefits. Hosting the summit is rotational, and prestige alone is not enough, he noted.
Citing the FIFA World Cup in Qatar, Udit Raj argued that major events prove beneficial only when they deliver lasting gains to tourism and the economy.
Speaking to IANS, Raj said international conferences like BRICS may be important, yet the government must spell out concrete outcomes.
“Did they increase FDI (foreign direct investment), attract foreign investment, or prevent the exit of foreign institutional investors from the stock market? Merely discussing GDP figures or hosting major events does not benefit the public,” he remarked.
He also questioned the ground-level gains from previous conferences, including the G20, and asked what real economic returns India received in exchange for its financial contribution to BRICS.
Udit Raj further targeted the government’s foreign policy, stating that issues concerning Indian students and skilled workers abroad, as well as India’s global image, need stronger attention.
Referring to recent tensions with Pakistan, he said India must secure broad diplomatic support on international platforms during times of crisis.
The usefulness of BRICS, he added, should be assessed by the extent of such support. He claimed India’s tourism sector has not received the desired boost.
On women’s reservation, he recalled that the Bill was passed in 2023, but its implementation was linked to delimitation. The Congress had supported early enforcement and accused the BJP of creating a false impression about the party’s stand.
Regarding the Hindi controversy in Kerala, Udit Raj backed the state government’s objection, saying forced imposition of a language could hurt regional sentiments. Languages and identities of southern states must be respected, he emphasised.
On Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s gift of a book to Russian President Vladimir Putin, Raj said such gestures are symbolic in diplomacy. The real test of foreign policy, he stressed, lies in the actual outcomes of meetings and agreements rather than photographs or symbolic gifts.
–IANS
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