India has rejected social-media claims that several national leaders became ill after attending the BRICS summit in Delhi. The Ministry of External Affairs called s fake and warned users against messages it said were intended to create negative sentiment.
The claims focused on Chinese President Xi Jinping and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. s alleged that leaders fell sick after leaving India, but the Indian government denied that any such pattern had been reported.
What India said
The BRICS summit was held in New Delhi on 12-13 September. Russian President Vladimir Putin, Xi and other leaders attended the meeting, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi held discussions with several participants.
The Ministry of External Affairs issued a “fake alert” over the online claims. It said people should be cautious about social-media s promoting what it described as false and negative narratives.
Claims about Xi Jinping
Wanjun Shai, identified in the report as the head of the China Democratic Party, alleged that Xi lost consciousness during the summit. Shai further claimed that Xi’s medical team helped him end his India visit early and that he returned to China on a special aircraft.
Shai also alleged that Xi was taken by military helicopter to Beijing’s 301 Hospital for emergency treatment and had suffered a severe ischemic stroke. These allegations were not confirmed by India’s Ministry of External Affairs.
Statement on Ramaphosa
South Africa’s presidency said Ramaphosa had reduced his public engagements after returning from the summit. It said a medical team had advised him to rest and recover, and that he had asked the relevant minister to represent him where possible.
The reason for Ramaphosa’s health-related absence was not clear in the statement cited in the report. That announcement, however, was separate from the wider social-media claim that several leaders had fallen ill because they had attended the BRICS meeting in India.
BRICS membership
BRICS includes 11 countries:
- Brazil
- China
- Egypt
- Ethiopia
- India
- Indonesia
- Iran
- Russia
- Saudi Arabia
- South Africa
- United Arab Emirates
The summit also came as India and China were discussing trade issues. Indian secretary Rajesh Agrawal said further meetings could take place after a long gap in discussions. He said both sides needed to address each other’s concerns, structural imbalances in trade, supply-chain issues and ways to rebuild confidence in commercial ties.
Conclusion
India’s official position is that the online claim linking the health of several BRICS leaders to their visit is fake. Separate statements about Ramaphosa’s rest and unverified allegations about Xi should not be treated as confirmation of that broader claim.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Did India confirm that BRICS leaders became ill after the summit?
India denied the broader claim and described the social-media s as fake.
Q. Which leaders were named in the online claims?
The claims involved Xi Jinping and Cyril Ramaphosa.
Q. What did Wanjun Shai allege about Xi Jinping?
Shai alleged that Xi lost consciousness and suffered a severe ischemic stroke. The allegation was not confirmed by India’s Ministry of External Affairs.
Q. What did South Africa say about Ramaphosa?
The presidency said Ramaphosa was advised by a medical team to rest and would reduce public engagements.
Q. When was the BRICS summit held in Delhi?
The summit took place on 12-13 September.
Q. How many countries are in BRICS?
BRICS comprises 11 countries.
Q. What other issue was discussed between India and China?
Officials discussed trade concerns, structural imbalances, supply-chain issues and confidence in bilateral trade.
