MEA Slams Fake Alerts on Leaders’ Health Post‑BRICS Summit

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stepped into the fray on Thursday, publicly dismissing a spate of social‑media posts that claimed a handful of world leaders fell ill after attending the BRICS summit in New Delhi. In a terse X post, the MEA’s fact‑checking cell warned that the stories were “malicious” and “fake”.

One of the most widely shared rumors concerned South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. Some users suggested he had become seriously unwell on his return flight. In reality, the South African presidency issued a modest statement: the 73‑year‑old president was advised by doctors to rest after the summit and had therefore withdrawn from a few public engagements. No indication of a serious health crisis was given.

The same briefing also mentioned Deputy President Paul Mashatile, who was recovering from a minor medical procedure. Both leaders, it seems, were simply following medical advice – nothing dramatic enough to spark a global health scare.

Another viral thread alleged that Chinese President Xi Jinping had cut short his participation at the summit for “medical reasons” and had flown back on a special aircraft. The MEA did not address the specifics of that claim, but it did caution the public against circulating such unverified information, reiterating that the posts were “malicious and fake”.

Overall, the summit in India concluded without any reported health emergencies among the attending dignitaries. The MEA’s quick response underscores a growing concern: false narratives can spread like wildfire on platforms such as X, often feeding on the public’s appetite for sensational news. As the ministry urged, readers should pause, verify and think twice before sharing similar claims.