13:52
The Congress on Saturday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government to help restore diplomatic space and stature the country once commanded by rebuilding confidence among partners in the Global South.
As the BRICS Summit began in New Delhi, the Congress said India must demonstrate that it remains a credible and constructive partner, even in times of crisis, by taking special measures to address concerns of perceived endorsement of attacks on BRICS member Iran.
The Congress also urged Modi to hold a press conference to apprise the nation of the BRICS Summit outcomes.
In a statement, Salman Khurshid, the head of the Congress Foreign Affairs department, claimed that the BJP government has had a limited diplomatic role in the war in West Asia, and has been unwilling to forge consensus between BRICS members.
"Although Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reiterated a position that the Indian National Congress has long articulated - that India must be a voice for the Global South - the Congress firmly believes that declarations of solidarity must be complemented by consistent and consequential action.
"In this spirit, PM Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Government should endeavour to restore the diplomatic space and stature India has historically commanded," Khurshid said.
"This includes taking special measures to address concerns of perceived endorsement of attacks on BRICS member Iran, the BJP Government's limited diplomatic role during the ongoing war in West Asia (including its unwillingness to forge consensus between BRICS members), and its inadequate support for BRICS founding member South Africa when it faced diplomatic pressures.
"The BJP Government must therefore take deliberate steps to rebuild confidence among partners in the Global South by demonstrating that India remains a credible and constructive partner, even in times of crisis," Khurshid said.
The Congress leader said the BJP government should use the 18th BRICS Summit to exercise statesmanship by forging solidarity among BRICS members without allowing it to get engaged in bloc politics.
He said that India should deepen South-South cooperation and make the function a stabilising forum in a fragmented international system.
The country must work together to address deficiencies in global institutions and to demonstrate that strategic autonomy can coexist with constructive and consequential multilateralism, he said.
"The Indian National Congress believes that India must unequivocally demonstrate that it is strong enough to advance its own interests, while being principled enough to stand with those who seek a fairer world, and be trusted enough to serve as a credible bridge between the Global South and Global North," he said.
Khurshid said that even though BRICS countries account for 19.6 per cent of global merchandise trade, India's trade relationship with the bloc remains deeply imbalanced. -- PTI
