New Delhi, September 17, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Fact Check on Thursday warned against misleading and malicious social media posts claiming that several world leaders fell ill after attending the BRICS Summit in India.
In a post on X, MEA Fact Check described the claims as “misleading” and cautioned users against such posts circulating on social media platforms.
The fact-checking handle shared and flagged several posts that attributed the claims to the BBC and alleged that leaders, including South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and Chinese President Xi Jinping, had fallen ill following the summit.
One post shared by MEA Fact Check claimed that the BBC had reported multiple world leaders falling ill after the BRICS Summit, while another alleged that Ramaphosa had become ill and that reports concerning Xi remained unconfirmed.
MEA Fact Check also flagged a post by an account called ‘Raw Egg Nationalist’, which shared a video and linked it to alleged catering at the BRICS Summit, making a claim about Xi and Ramaphosa falling ill.
Another social media post alleged that Ramaphosa and Xi had suffered food poisoning while attending a BRICS event in India. MEA Fact Check again described the claim as misleading.
The fact-checking handle similarly flagged a post from the ‘BRICS News’ account claiming that Ramaphosa had become ill after attending the summit, as well as another post alleging that multiple world leaders had fallen ill following the event.
A separate post used derogatory language while referring to two world leaders allegedly returning from India in ill health. MEA Fact Check included the post among those it identified as misleading.
The warnings come amid continued social media activity surrounding the BRICS Summit and claims about the health of participating leaders. The MEA Fact Check’s posts sought to caution users against accepting or amplifying such claims without verification.
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