Pawan Khera takes dig at BJP over curtains hiding Delhi slums ahead of BRICS Summit
New Delhi: Congress leader Pawan Khera has criticised the BJP-led Central Government for putting up large curtains and temporary barricades to conceal slum clusters and low-income neighbourhoods along important routes in the national capital ahead of the 18th BRICS Summit.
Khera accused the government of attempting to hide India’s socio-economic conditions from visiting foreign dignitaries instead of addressing the problems faced by people living in poverty.
Sharing a video of the screens on X, the Congress leader said: “Not all ‘hijabs’ are unacceptable to the BJP. The one that veils Modi’s failures is their favourite.”
The remarks were directed at the BJP’s political rhetoric and its approach to issues involving the hijab.
Meanwhile, Congress MP Manish Tewari said international groupings such as BRICS, ASEAN, the Quad and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation should be viewed as continuing platforms for engagement rather than judged only by the outcomes of individual meetings.
Speaking to ANI, Tewari said the post-World War II global order had collapsed, while a replacement had yet to emerge.
“Ultimately, the world is adrift,” he said, adding that countries were navigating an uncertain period and using multilateral platforms to maintain dialogue and assess the changing international environment.
Tewari said the process of interaction was more important than focusing solely on immediate results, as sustained engagement among countries could help create a viable new world order.
“Because it is only through the process of interaction that a viable world order will emerge, or else we will regress to the templates of the 17th and 18th centuries,” he said.
India is hosting the 18th BRICS Summit on September 12 and 13 under its 2026 chairmanship.
The country’s presidency is guided by the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability”, with development, sustainability and innovation identified as key areas of focus.