BRICS Parliamentary Forum Kicks Off in Delhi With Focus on Global Issues

New Delhi, October 26: Under India's chairship, the 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum has begun, with leaders and lawmakers from several nations gathering to discuss pressing global challenges. Bharatiya Janata Party MPs Naresh Bansal, Shashank Mani Tripathi and Jagdambika Pal welcomed the event as a valuable space for dialogue and cooperation. Their statements also questioned why Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi was not attending.

Naresh Bansal said he hoped the conference would achieve success. He explained that the two-day meetings under India's chairship would host many bilateral talks between leaders. He listed terrorism, environmental concerns, climate change and trade practices among the global problems likely to be discussed. In his view, solutions would emerge through communication and negotiation, and he believed the meeting would prove very successful.

Bansal also responded to Rahul Gandhi's absence, saying the Congress leader appeared to have no interest in the nation's problems and wanted to create anarchy. He described Gandhi as a frustrated and hopeless part-time politician, adding that his participation or non-participation was of little consequence.

BJP MP Shashank Mani Tripathi said the forum was being held at an auspicious time, with the world's largest parliament hosting participants from parliamentary bodies worldwide. He expected India's representation of the Global South to become more robust and said discussions would emphasise people-centric governance and people-centric development.

On Rahul Gandhi's non-attendance, Tripathi said he did not know the reason but stressed that the Leader of Opposition should take part, given his position.

Jagdambika Pal observed that delegations from 11 BRICS nations and 10 partner countries were attending, which he said was very important. He also pointed out that the 2026 event was India's 12th parliamentary forum.

Targeting Rahul Gandhi, Pal said skipping the forum was like making a mockery of democracy and showed no respect for parliamentary democracy. He stated that the international conference would host speakers and delegations from 21 countries to discuss global affairs. Pal argued that Gandhi's decision not to attend was an insult to Parliament, its traditions and the country.