MEA Fact Check Debunks Viral Rumors: World Leaders Did Not Fall Ill After Delhi BRICS Summit
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The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has issued a firm rebuttal dismissing fabricated social media narratives alleging that high-profile global leaders fell ill after attending the high-level BRICS summit hosted in New Delhi. The diplomatic conference, convened on September 12-13, concluded with substantive multilateral agreements, but malicious disinformation campaigns soon surfaced across digital channels seeking to undermine the international event's success. Countering the coordinated online rumors, the official Fact Check Unit under the Ministry of External Affairs termed the viral narratives entirely false, baseless, and deliberately engineered to tarnish India's global diplomatic reputation.
Malicious Social Media Disinformation Targets Xi Jinping and Cyril Ramaphosa
The online smear campaign falsely claimed that distinguished heads of state experienced acute health complications following the international meetings in India's capital. Specific misleading rumors targeted Chinese President Xi Jinping and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, claiming that both dignitaries fell critically ill upon attending the official deliberations. Calling out the disinformation directly on social media platform X, the MEA's Fact Check handle flagged screenshots of posts originating from handles such as 'First Squeak'—which falsely attributed the fabricated health scare to a nonexistent BBC report—warning global audiences and media outlets against amplifying such malicious falsehoods.
Anti-India Elements Target Diplomatic Success as MEA Warns Against Fake News
Diplomatic officials noted that hostile elements, troubled by India's successful hosting of the summit and its influential leadership within the BRICS framework, orchestrated the propaganda to sow confusion in the public sphere. The MEA clarified that all visiting international delegations participated in official protocols under standard international hospitality and returned safely to their home countries without incident. Reminding internet users to exercise digital literacy and verify sensitive geopolitical claims through verified governmental portals, Indian authorities reiterated that legal monitoring mechanisms remain active to counter state-sponsored and covert information warfare.
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