India’s foreign ministry rejects claims that Ramaphosa was poisoned at BRICS summit

India’s Ministry of External Affairs has dismissed viral claims that South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and other world leaders fell ill from food at the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi.

Ministry labels posts misleading

The ministry’s fact‑checking unit described the social media posts alleging mass food poisoning as misleading and warned users against spreading unverified information.

What happened with Ramaphosa’s health

Ramaphosa’s office confirmed he had been booked off from public engagements and that doctors had advised him to rest and recover. His office did not disclose the nature of his illness.

Claims about food poisoning and Xi Jinping

Social media posts linked Ramaphosa’s absence to an alleged food‑poisoning incident at the summit. India’s MEA rejected the suggestion that world leaders became ill because of food served at the event.

Separate claims that Chinese President Xi Jinping had fainted or left India early for health reasons were also disputed. Available information shows Xi attended the second session of the BRICS Summit on 13 September and completed his scheduled engagements.

No verified evidence tying illnesses to summit food

The MEA noted there has been no verified evidence presented linking Xi’s health, or Ramaphosa’s subsequent medical leave, to food served at the summit.

Officials urge caution

Officials urged caution over how quickly unverified claims about prominent political figures can spread online. In this case, Ramaphosa’s confirmed absence from public duties was used as the basis for the viral food‑poisoning narrative, which India’s MEA has publicly rejected.