Responding to questions about Chidambaram's remarks, Tharoor said BRICS is a major platform for the Global South. He noted that there are more than 100 countries in the Global South, but 11 main countries within it are represented in the grouping. According to Tharoor, these countries collectively represent a diversity of ideas and, at this particular time, India is chairing the group.
Tharoor said the 11 BRICS countries account for 41 per cent of the world's GDP, making the summit highly significant at the international level. He said the rest of the world should also take the summit very seriously. He added that the arrival of dozens of heads of state and representatives in India is not a small matter and is a matter of honour for the country.
According to Tharoor, the presence of dozens of leaders and representatives also demonstrates India's diplomatic ability to bring countries together. He said the summit has a distinct significance on the international stage.
Chidambaram, a senior Congress leader, had earlier questioned the significance of the summit. He said he did not know how many prime ministers or presidents were attending the meeting and added that he did not think any concrete results had emerged from the previous two or three BRICS summits.
The BJP strongly criticised the former finance minister's remarks. BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi, while addressing reporters on Thursday, said that after what he described as the Congress's "indecent and naked display" at the international Artificial Intelligence (AI) summit, the party had, in keeping with its habit, once again made an unfortunate and condemnable statement on the eve of the BRICS summit.
Trivedi said Chidambaram had asked what India would gain from the BRICS summit. He said the statement not only raised questions about Chidambaram's thinking, but also appeared to suggest that the senior Congress leader placed his own intelligence above that of the heads of state coming to India.
Tharoor, however, also acknowledged that the BRICS summit faces several challenges. He said the members do not necessarily share identical views, making it a major challenge to build consensus on international issues and then issue a declaration.
Tharoor pointed to the foreign ministers' meeting as an example, saying that instead of a joint declaration being issued, a statement by the chair was released. He said that if there is a lack of coordination, the group could once again face a similar challenge during the summit.
The contrasting positions of Chidambaram and Tharoor have brought the BRICS summit into sharper focus, with the Congress leadership's differing assessments highlighting both the diplomatic importance of the grouping and the challenges involved in reaching consensus among its members.
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