‘Got the chair, kept mouth shut’: Mehbooba Mufti on PM Modi's BRICS speech

Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi's speech at the BRICS summit, stating that he missed an opportunity to emphasize India's commitment to global human rights. The PDP president expressed disappointment that the Indian leader's words were "very very cautiously chosen" during his address as chair of the BRICS group.

India has long championed human rights and democracy, Mufti noted, but the prime minister's speech failed to highlight these values. She pointed out the recent tragic events in Gaza and Iran, where thousands of innocent lives were lost, but no mention was made during the summit.

Mufti argued that India's "independent foreign policy" has been compromised in recent years, as the country became more selective about condemning terrorist attacks. She lamented that India has been moving away from being a "sidekick" to superpowers like the United States.

The PDP chief praised the BRICS summit declaration condemning the Pahalgam attack and addressing issues in West Asia, but she felt that Prime Modi should have taken a more proactive role in shaping the statement. Mufti called for India to embrace a multi-polar world order, rather than remaining trapped in a "superpower syndrome," where the country becomes overly reliant on one dominant global power.