MEA Fact Check warns against posts claiming leaders fell ill after BRICS Summit

MEA Fact Check on Thursday warned against misleading and malicious social media posts claiming several world leaders fell ill after attending the BRICS Summit in India. Posts made claims involving South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and Chinese President Xi Jinping

New Delhi: The MEA Fact Check on Thursday warned against several misleading and malicious posts circulating on social media platforms claiming that several world leaders had fallen ill after attending the BRICS Summit in India.

MEA Fact Check took to X and said, “Misleading! We caution against such malicious posts on social media platforms.”

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MEA Fact Check shared a post by ‘First Squawk’, which claimed, “BBC reports that multiple world leaders, including South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa, have reportedly fallen ill following the BRICS summit in India, while reports involving China’s Xi Jinping remain unconfirmed.”

The fact-checking handle also shared a post by ‘unusual_whales’, which said, “JUST IN: Numerous world leaders, including South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, and reportedly, but unconfirmed, China’s Xi Jinping, have reportedly fallen ill, after attending BRICS summit in India, per BBC.”

Another post shared by MEA Fact Check was from ‘Raw Egg Nationalist’, who posted a video with the caption, “EXCLUSIVE: I can now reveal the first footage of the catering for the BRICS summit that has apparently killed Xi Jinping and Cyril Ramaphosa.”

MEA Fact Check also shared a post by a user named ‘Dakkadakka’, which alleged that leaders, including South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and Chinese President Xi Jinping, had suffered food poisoning while attending a BRICS event in India. MEA Fact Check termed the claim misleading.

Another post shared by MEA Fact Check was from the ‘BRICS News’ account on X, which claimed, “JUST IN: South African President Ramaphosa becomes ill after attending BRICS summit in India.” MEA Fact Check again termed the claim misleading.

The fact-checking handle also shared a post by ‘Emmanuel Kimutai Motelin’, which claimed, “DEVELOPING: Multiple world leaders have reportedly fallen ill after attending the BRICS summit in India.” The post was also described as misleading.

MEA Fact Check further shared a post by a user named ‘Maverick’, who wrote, “Two world leaders returning from India in ill health! Maybe the acronym BRICS has another meaning? Both Returned In Catastrophic Shits.