MEA debunks false claims on BRICS leaders health
New Delhi: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on September 17, Thursday outrightly dismissed the rumours circulated on social media, which said that multiple world leaders fell ill after attending the 18th BRICS Summit. The MEA thus, cautioned people against circulating or sharing the fake posts. The Ministry termed the fake content as “malicious” and “misleading” posts.
The ministry’s fact-checking unit specifically debunked the online claims of health risks concerning Chinese President Xi Jinping and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, amid a wave of unverified fake content flooding the social media platforms following the two-day summit.
The MEA Fact Check unit took to X to caution against the claims circulating online. Responding to a post by the US-based prediction market platform Polymarket, which shared a photograph of Ramaphosa with the claim that “multiple world leaders have reportedly fallen ill after attending BRICS summit in India”, the ministry wrote: “Fake Alert!!! We caution against such malicious posts on social media platforms!”
The MEA also flagged another social media post making claims about the health of several BRICS leaders, describing the information as “misleading” and again urging caution over unverified content. The warnings came amid a flurry of online speculation surrounding the health of leaders who participated in the summit, including Chinese President Xi Jinping and South African President Ramaphosa.
One of the most concerning & misleading fake narrative spread was made by Wanjun Xie, chairman of the China Democracy Party, who alleged that Xi had fainted during the BRICS Summit, suffered a stroke and was subsequently flown back to Beijing for treatment. However, there was no official confirmation from the Chinese authorities ad MEA outrightly debunked it as a false information.
Xi, who arrived in New Delhi on September 12, Saturday, was attending his first event in India, post the 2020 Galwan Valley clash. The Chinese President also held a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Modi on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit.
While the MEA rejected the broader social media narrative linking multiple leaders to illness after the summit, the South African presidency separately confirmed that Ramaphosa had been advised by his doctors to rest and recover because of ill health.
The 73-year-old South African President returned from the BRICS Summit on September 14, Monday, subsequently withdrew from public engagements. His office said on Septmber 16, Wednesday that he would continue resting on medical advice and that ministers would represent him at scheduled engagements wherever possible.
The distinction between the confirmed information about Ramaphosa’s health and the unverified claims concerning other leaders prompted the MEA to warn against the carefully choreographed social media fake narratives against the BRICS Summit in India. The flood of malicious content on social media on world leaders illness post the BRICS Summit in New Delhi, can be decoded as a deliberate attempt to defame India against its biggest diplomatic win and success during the BRICS presidency.
The 18th BRICS Summit was held in New Delhi on September 12-13 under India’s chairship and the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability”. The summit brought together leaders and representatives from the expanded BRICS grouping and partner countries, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Xi Jinping, Ramaphosa and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., Burundian President Évariste Ndayishimiye and Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev were also among the participants. The summit concluded with the adoption of the New Delhi Declaration, covering issues ranging from West Asia and counter-terrorism to artificial intelligence, tariffs, digital cooperation, local-currency settlements and reform of global institutions.
The declaration also condemned the April 2025 Pahalgam terror attack and reiterated the grouping’s commitment to combating terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. Against the backdrop of escalating tensions in West Asia, BRICS leaders also called for restraint, dialogue and the protection of commercial maritime safety in strategically important waterways.
