The Indian National Congress has publicly questioned the outcomes of the recent BRICS summit, specifically criticizing the joint declaration for failing to address ongoing border disputes between India and China. Congress leader Nana Patole argued that the summit represented a missed opportunity for India to pressure China regarding its presence in the Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh regions.

According to the Congress party, the government’s diplomatic approach at the summit lacked the necessary firmness required to resolve territorial grievances. Patole stated that the Prime Minister should have used the platform to speak bluntly and demand a withdrawal of Chinese forces from these contested areas. The party maintains that such a demand would have been the most significant benefit India could have secured from the international gathering.

While the Congress party has framed the omission as a diplomatic shortcoming, the government has not yet issued a formal response to these specific criticisms regarding the BRICS text. The current discourse highlights a recurring tension in Indian domestic politics regarding how the executive branch manages bilateral relations with China versus how the opposition believes these issues should be prioritized on the global stage.