New Delhi, Sept. 17 -- The Ministry of External Affairs has dismissed reports and social media claims suggesting that several world leaders fell ill after attending the BRICS Summit in New Delhi, calling such posts malicious and urging people to exercise caution before believing or sharing them.
The clarification came after South African President Cyril Ramaphosa was advised by his medical team to rest and recover after returning home from the BRICS Summit. His decision to temporarily stay away from public engagements subsequently triggered speculation online about the health of other leaders who attended the September 12-13 summit. The rumours also included unverified claims about Chinese President Xi Jinping's health. Xi had skipped the BRICS leaders' dinner at Bharat Mandapam on September 12, shortly after his bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. His absence was subsequently used to fuel speculation on social media about his health.
However, there has been no official confirmation supporting claims that Xi suffered a serious medical episode or that leaders attending the summit were affected by any common illness. Reports suggesting otherwise remain unverified. The South African Presidency confirmed that Ramaphosa, 73, had returned from India on Monday and was advised to rest by his medical team because of ill health. The statement did not link his condition to his participation in the BRICS Summit.
The development prompted the external affairs ministry to caution against the circulation of misleading information. Officials stressed that claims about multiple leaders falling sick after the summit should not be treated as factual without credible confirmation. The BRICS Summit was held in New Delhi on September 12 and 13, bringing together leaders and representatives of the expanded grouping to discuss issues including global conflicts, economic cooperation, trade, technology, energy and reforms to international institutions. India subsequently handed over the BRICS chairmanship to China.
The ministry's clarification comes amid increased online speculation surrounding the health of senior political leaders, with unverified claims spreading rapidly through social media platforms. Authorities have urged users to distinguish between confirmed official information and unsupported posts before drawing conclusions. As of now, there is no confirmed evidence that multiple BRICS leaders became ill because of their participation in the New Delhi summit.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.