BRICS+ meet ends without joint statement; Congress alleges India’s stance triggered r
BRICS+ meet ends without joint statement; Congress alleges India’s stance triggered rift
M.U.H
27/04/202614
Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Monday criticised the Union government over the outcome of the recent BRICS+ meeting held in New Delhi, alleging that India’s position on the Israel-Palestine issue contributed to the failure to issue a joint statement and left the country diplomatically isolated.
In a statement, Ramesh said the April 23-24 meeting of Deputy Foreign Ministers and Special Envoys from BRICS+ nations concluded without a joint communique, pointing to differences among member states, including Iran and the United Arab Emirates, over the ongoing conflict in West Asia. He, however, claimed that a major sticking point was India’s push to soften the language on Israel and Palestine.
“While divergent positions between Iran and the UAE are understandable, what is shocking and shameful is that India pushed for diluting the language on Israel and Palestine, which was unacceptable to other members including Russia, China, Brazil, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, the UAE, and Iran,” Ramesh said.
The Congress leader further accused the government of deviating from India’s long-standing diplomatic stance on the Palestinian issue, alleging that New Delhi has shown “steadfast solidarity” with Israel despite the ongoing conflict in Gaza, strikes in southern Lebanon, and tensions in the West Bank. His remarks reflect the opposition party’s broader criticism of what it views as a shift in India’s West Asia policy.
The BRICS+ grouping, an expanded format of the original bloc comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, now includes several countries from Asia, Africa and the Middle East. It has increasingly emerged as a platform for coordination among emerging economies on geopolitical and economic issues, particularly those affecting the Global South.
India, which hosted the latest round of discussions, has maintained that it supports dialogue and a peaceful resolution to the Israel–Palestine conflict while balancing its strategic partnerships in the region. In recent years, New Delhi has strengthened ties with Israel in sectors such as defence, technology and agriculture, while continuing to back a two-state solution and engagement with Palestinian leadership.
Ramesh sharpened his criticism by targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, alleging close alignment with Israeli leadership. “The Prime Minister of India and the Prime Minister of Israel are clearly soulmates,” he said.
The absence of a joint statement at the BRICS+ meeting underscores the complexities within the expanded grouping, where differing geopolitical priorities and regional conflicts continue to challenge consensus-building.
