Congress MP Pawan Khera on Saturday criticised the BJP-led Central Government over the installation of large curtains and temporary barricades around slum clusters and low-income neighbourhoods along important routes in Delhi ahead of the 18th BRICS Summit.
Khera shared a video of the arrangements on X and took a sharp political swipe at the ruling party. He wrote, “Not all ‘hijabs’ are unacceptable to the BJP. The one that veils Modi’s failures is their favourite.”
The Congress leader alleged that the measures were intended to conceal the city’s poverty and difficult socioeconomic realities from foreign dignitaries visiting India for the summit. His remarks linked the arrangements to the BJP’s broader political rhetoric and accused the government of choosing to hide poverty rather than address it.
The controversy comes as Delhi is hosting several high-profile international leaders for the BRICS Summit. India is chairing and hosting the 18th BRICS Summit on September 12 and 13, with the event focusing on cooperation among member countries on issues including development, sustainability, resilience and innovation.
The theme of India’s BRICS chairmanship is “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability”. Development, sustainability and innovation have been identified as important areas of focus during India’s presidency.
Khera’s remarks have added a political dimension to the preparations for the summit, with the Congress questioning the decision to screen certain neighbourhoods from view along major routes used by visiting dignitaries.
Meanwhile, Congress MP Manish Tewari also commented on the changing international order while discussing platforms such as BRICS, ASEAN, the Quad and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.
Speaking to ANI, Tewari said that the existing global order had weakened significantly, while a new order had yet to emerge. According to him, international groupings should not be judged only by the immediate outcomes of individual meetings.
Tewari argued that continued engagement between countries is important during a period of major geopolitical uncertainty. He said that platforms such as BRICS, ASEAN, the Quad and SCO provide opportunities for countries to continue communicating and negotiating as the global system evolves.
He described the current international environment as one of uncertainty and suggested that regular interaction between nations could help shape a more viable global order.
India’s hosting of the BRICS Summit has brought several major international issues into focus, including global governance, economic cooperation, sustainability, technology and development.
However, opposition parties have also used the high-profile event to question aspects of the government’s preparations. Khera’s comments over the temporary coverings and barricades around low-income neighbourhoods are likely to fuel further political debate over how India presents itself during major international events.
The BRICS Summit continues in Delhi on September 12 and 13, with participating countries discussing a range of economic, geopolitical and development-related issues.
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