Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], September 13 (ANI): Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti on Sunday said that New Delhi BRICS Declaration is a very positive step and it condemned the Pahalgam attack and addressed the events in West Asia and made strong remarks about the Gaza situation.
However, she said India’s foreign policy has seen a change in recent years and there have not been strong remarks on some international developments.
“I believe the New Delhi Declaration is a very positive step. It condemned the Pahalgam attack and addressed the events in West Asia—specifically the unilateral attacks and sanctions—as well as the situation in Gaza, issuing a strong statement. I feel that India is globally recognized for its commitment to human rights, humanity and democracy, and has always taken pride in its independent foreign policy and stance of non-alignment—a tradition dating back to the time of Jawaharlal Nehru,” Mehbooba Mufti told reporters.
The PDP leader said India has historically maintained an independent foreign policy.
“We have never been a mere sidekick, not even to a superpower like America. Unfortunately, our foreign policy has undergone a significant shift in recent years. We have become selective in our condemnation of terrorist attacks. Consider the situation in Gaza, where some 20,000 to 22,000 children, along with women and others, have reportedly been killed and devastation wreaked, or the killing of Iranian leadership and the massacre of around 150 schoolgirls. There was no statement from our side regarding these events,” she said.
“BRICS offered a platform where our country and Prime Minister should have spoken forcefully about these matters,” she added.
The PDP leader said America’s status as a superpower is declining and there is rise of other powers.
“In a way, we are compromising on many of our values—the principles and the standing our nation has long held. Unfortunately, we are unable to shake off the “superpower” syndrome. There is no longer just one superpower,” she said.
“The world is moving towards a multi-super power with the rise of China and Russia, and America’s status as a superpower is declining. We witnessed what happened in Iran—they were trying to save their skin…,” she added.
The New Delhi Declaration reaffirmed India’s commitment to the BRICS spirit of mutual respect and understanding, sovereign equality, solidarity, democracy, openness, inclusiveness, collaboration and consensus.
Building on two decades of BRICS, the members committed themselves to strengthening cooperation in the expanded BRICS under the three pillars of political and security, economic and financial, cultural and people-to-people cooperation, and to enhancing our strategic partnership for the benefit of our people through the promotion of peace, a more representative, fairer international order, a reinvigorated and reformed multilateral system, sustainable development and inclusive growth.
“We recognise the valuable contribution of Partner countries to BRICS cooperation. We underscore our strong belief that advancing the BRICS partnership with Emerging Markets and Developing Countries (EMDCs) will further contribute to strengthening the spirit of solidarity and international cooperation for the benefit of all. We reaffirm our commitment to fostering inclusive, mutually beneficial and development-oriented partnership with Partner countries. We encourage their increasing participation in BRICS engagements and practical cooperation in areas of shared interest,” the Declaration said.
The BRICS countries commended the significant progress achieved under India’s BRICS Chairship in 2026, under the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability”. (ANI)