New Delhi, Sep 11 (IANS) : As India hosts the BRICS Summit, the BJP on Friday said that the country has transformed from being described as an ‘insignificant’ and ‘weakest link’ in the grouping to becoming one of its strongest and most important members under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Addressing a press conference, BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi said, “After 12 years, from an insignificant and weakest link of BRICS, under the stewardship of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India has become an important and one of the strongest links of BRICS.”
He said BRICS has emerged as a significant forum in the changing global scenario, particularly at a time when conflicts are continuing in various parts of the world.
“We hope that during this summit — which accounts for 50 per cent of the global population and 40 per cent of the global GDP — in various areas of cooperation ranging from agriculture and genetics to health and the environment, apart from economic growth and business opportunities, this summit will emerge as a very significant and positive force in the present scenario,” Trivedi said.
Trivedi said the BRICS Summit, which began in India, represents an important global platform because its member countries account for nearly half of the world’s population and around 40 per cent of global GDP.
He said the significance of the summit has increased amid wars and conflicts in several parts of the world and described India’s hosting of the event as a matter of pride for the country.
Recalling the criticism India faced before 2014, Trivedi said some newspapers in 2012 and 2013 had described India as the ‘weakest link of BRICS’ and claimed that the country had become insignificant within the grouping.
BJP MP Praveen Khandelwal also highlighted the importance of the summit being held in Delhi, saying India’s leadership under Prime Minister Modi would help the country further strengthen its engagement with other BRICS nations.
“Certainly, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the BRICS Summit being held in Delhi is actually very important. And in the various sessions of this BRICS Summit, the discussions that will take place with all the world leaders who are coming, I firmly believe that on issues such as India’s trade, industry, our economy, technology and digitalisation, the way India is working at such a rapid pace in the world, India will move forward even faster by collaborating with other countries,” he said.
