Misleading, malicious: MEA fact-checks reports claiming several leaders fell ill after BRICS summit

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, Sep 17, 2026: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday issued a caution against false reports claiming that several world leaders reportedly “fell ill" after attending the 18th BRICS Summit in India.

The Fact Check unit of the MEA tagged a post by the US-based prediction market platform, Polymarket, which posted a picture of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, claiming, “Multiple world leaders have reportedly fallen ill after attending BRICS summit in India."

Re-sharing the post, the MEA wrote: “Fake Alert!!! We caution against such malicious posts on social media platforms!"

The MEA also fact-checked another post claiming that various world leaders, including South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, fell sick after the BRICS Summit. It claimed that updates on Chinese President Xi Jinping’s health remains unconfirmed.

“Misleading! We caution against such malicious posts on social media platforms!"

PM Modi Pauses Mid-Speech, Checks On Xi

During his opening remarks at the BRICS Summit at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, PM Modi took a brief pause mid-speech to check on Chinese President Xi Jinping who appeared uncomfortable.

PM Modi looked at Xi and asked if “it was okay". The Chinese leader landed in New Delhi on Saturday, marking his first visit to India after the Galwan Valley clash in 2020.

The two leaders also met for a bilateral summit on the sidelines of BRICS.

BRICS Summit 2026 

India hosted the 18th BRICS Summit on September 12-13 in New Delhi under the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability". The two-day event marked the participation of several world leaders, including: Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, and Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi 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 in attendance.

The BRICS nations adopted the New Delhi Declaration on Saturday, laying out common positions on issues, including West Asia war, artificial intelligence, tariffs and more.

In a major diplomatic victory for India, the declaration condemned the 2025 Pahalgam terror attack, while also expressing its commitment to combating terrorism in “all its forms and manifestations".

The 18th BRICS Summit came at a critical juncture, as the world grappled with multiple conflicts, particularly the energy price shock triggered by the US-Israel war with Iran and the subsequent blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

Amid the ongoing tensions in West Asia, the New Delhi declaration called for maximum restraint while avoiding direct condemnation of specific state strikes.