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'Naraz Fufa Exposed': BJP Targets Congress After Tharoor Differs With Chidambaram On BRICS Summit
Apoorva Gupta | September 11, 2026 1:41 PM CST

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has targeted the Congress over contrasting views within the party on the BRICS grouping, highlighting senior leader Shashi Tharoor's praise for India's hosting of the summit a day after P Chidambaram questioned the tangible benefits the country has gained from the bloc.

BJP national spokesperson and national media co-incharge Pradeep Bhandari took a swipe at the Congress after Tharoor described India's hosting of the BRICS Summit as "a matter of huge prestige" and highlighted the grouping's importance for the Global South.

“Congress exposes Congress! …Congress MP exposes ‘Naraz Fufa’ of Congress who were opposing BRICS on instructions of Rahul Gandhi!” Bhandari said in a post on X.

Tharoor Calls BRICS An Important Global South Platform

Speaking ahead of the summit in Delhi, Tharoor underlined the scale of BRICS and its relevance for the Global South. He said the Global South comprises more than 100 countries, while the 11 BRICS members represent a significant diversity of views and countries within that grouping.

The 11-member bloc, he said, represents a majority of the world's population and 41 per cent of global GDP. 

“First of all, we’re providing an important platform for the Global South. You know, the Global South is over 100 countries, but here we have 11 key players from the Global South who collectively represent much of the diversity of views, as well as the range of countries that we are essentially chairing on this particular occasion. This grouping, the 11 BRICS countries, represents a majority of the world’s population and 41 per cent of global GDP," Tharoor said highlighting the importance of BRICS.

Tharoor also defended India's decision to host the summit, pointing to the presence of several heads of state and government as an advantage for the country. 

“Secondly, of course, having a dozen heads of state and government, not only members of BRICS but also some observers coming at presidential and prime ministerial level, is a matter of great prestige for us. It shows a certain diplomatic convening power, which has value in and of itself on the global stage,” he said.

Tharoor Flags Limits Of BRICS

Tharoor, however, also acknowledged difficulties arising from differences among its members. He said reaching a common position on major global issues could be challenging, particularly when BRICS members have sharply different views on conflicts.

“Now, that’s not to say there are only benefits; there are challenges, in particular, the fact that it’s difficult to find a convergence of views. For example, on an agreed declaration on global issues," he said.

Tharoor cited the failure of the BRICS foreign ministers to reach an agreed joint statement on the Iran war and the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

“When the foreign ministers met, we ended up with India as chair issuing a chair’s declaration rather than an agreed joint declaration,” he said.

He questioned whether the same situation could recur at the leaders' summit, saying it could be viewed by some as a setback or as evidence of fundamental differences within the grouping. “That’s going to be a real challenge for our diplomats,” Tharoor said.

Congress Leaders Differ Over BRICS Gains

Tharoor's remarks came a day after Chidambaram questioned whether recent BRICS summits had delivered tangible benefits for India.

Chidambaram also compared India's participation in BRICS with its membership of other multilateral groupings, including the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, G20 and QUAD.

“I don’t think the last two or three BRICS summits have resulted in tangible benefits or tangible results,” Chidambaram told ANI.

He questioned what benefits India was receiving from its participation in the different groupings, saying he had not seen tangible gains from the last two or three BRICS summits.

According to Chidambaram, earlier BRICS summits had produced some tangible benefits.

Tharoor Raises Trade Imbalance Concern

While defending the importance of BRICS, Tharoor also pointed to a direct economic concern for India.

He said trade between BRICS countries had expanded, but the trend had not necessarily worked in India's favour.

“Trade among the BRICS countries has been growing, but in many ways to our disadvantage. Our exports to the BRICS countries have gone down, while our imports from the BRICS countries have gone up,” Tharoor said.

His remarks therefore highlighted both the diplomatic value India sees in the grouping and the economic and political challenges posed by differences among its members.

BJP Accuses Congress Of Opposing India's Global Rise

Bhandari used the contrasting remarks to attack the Congress, accusing the opposition party of opposing developments that showcase India's standing internationally.

Speaking to ANI, he said the Congress was behaving like a "Naraz Fufa" as India hosted the BRICS Summit.

“If you observe the Congress today, seeing that the BRICS Summit is taking place in India, they are opposing it just like that ‘Naraz Fufa’,” Bhandari said.

He alleged that the Congress opposes initiatives whenever they involve India's progress or enhance the country's standing globally.

The BJP leader also accused the Congress of suffering from "Fear Of Missing Out" and claimed the party would oppose developments that boost India's prestige.

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