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| NC-Cong split wide open as CM Omar hails BRICS, Chidambaram scoffs | | |  Mahim Gupta
Early Times Report
Jammu, Sept 15: A curious split has opened up within the ruling coalition in Jammu and Kashmir, with Chief Minister Omar Abdullah lavishing praise on the Narendra Modi government at the Centre for its handling of the BRICS Summit even as coalition partner Congress remains sharply divided — and in senior leader P Chidambaram's case, openly dismissive — over what the gathering actually delivered.
Omar Abdullah on Tuesday called the BRICS New Delhi Declaration's explicit condemnation of the Pakistan-backed Pahalgam terror attack a major diplomatic win for India, crediting the Centre's foreign policy for pulling off what he described as no small feat.
His remarks came days after India hosted the 18th BRICS Summit in the capital, drawing world leaders including Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The National Conference chief was particularly struck that Pahalgam found explicit mention in the declaration, given the room it was agreed in.
"That is something for the Government of India, and particularly for the foreign ministry, to talk about. The fact that Pahalgam itself was condemned is a big thing. Please see how many allies of Pakistan were in that room. Therefore, for even Pahalgam to be mentioned by name, that in itself is a success of our foreign policy," he said.
Omar also welcomed signals of easing tension along India's borders, reacting to the defence ministry's report on the operational situation on the Northern Front.
Any reduction in troop deployment along the Line of Control or Line of Actual Control, he said, would bring real relief to people living in border areas who bear the daily brunt of hostilities.
"We know that living near the LoC or LAC is extremely difficult for people... over time, things will also get better along the Line of Control," he added.
The Chief Minister's enthusiasm, however, is not shared uniformly by his coalition partner. Congress finds itself publicly split on the summit's value: while Shashi Tharoor backed it as a significant diplomatic opportunity for India, underscoring the weight of hosting leaders from across the BRICS grouping and its partner nations, veteran leader P Chidambaram struck a starkly different note, questioning whether the exercise produced anything of substance.
"I don't think the last two or three BRICS summits have resulted in tangible benefits or tangible results," Chidambaram said, extending his skepticism to India's other multilateral engagements. "We are part of BRICS, we are part of SCO, we are part of G20, and we are part of Quad. What benefits are we getting out of that? I can't see."
Chidambaram's comments have already drawn fire from the BJP, which accused Congress of running down an event it claims showcased India's rising global stature — a charge that now sits awkwardly alongside Omar Abdullah's own full-throated endorsement of the summit, putting the NC-Congress alliance's messaging visibly out of step on a matter of national foreign policy. |
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