A video of global leaders, including several heads of state, posing for a photo on the last day of the 16th Brazil, Russia, India, and China (BRICS) Summit is being shared with the misleading claim that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is missing from the official BRICS 2024 group photo. The video is being shared falsely comparing it to a BRICS 2012 group photo featuring former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
BOOM found that the viral video shows the leaders posing for a photo on the last day of the Summit after Modi had already left Russia, the summit venue. In addition, we also found that Modi can be seen with all the world leaders in a group photo from the second day of the event on October 23, 2024.
The 2024 BRICS Summit was hosted by Russia in Kazan from October 22 to October 24, 2024 with Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates attending as first-time members, following their accession in 2023 at the 15th BRICS Summit. PM Modi returned to Delhi following his two-day visit to Russia on October 24, 2024. During the summit, he met with several world leaders on the sidelines, including Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
Posts share viral video making false comparisons with 2012 BRICS Summit
A 46 seconds video was posted on X by the X handle 'Bole Bharat' with the caption, "Singh is King while Modi is missing'. The video shows a two frame comparison with the first video of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh standing for a group photo with other world leaders during the 2012 BRICS Summit. The second video shows world leaders posing for the group photo during the BRICS 2024."
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Posts with misleading claim that PM Modi missing during 2024 BRICS photo
The same video in the second clip was posted by Kerala Congress's X handle with the caption, "Unable to Spot G.This is terrible. Mein kabhi dilse maaf nahi karoonga!" The caption takes a sarcastic jibe at PM Modi, making a misleading claim that Modi was missing during the group photo.
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FACT-CHECK
BOOM found that the viral video actually shows the Heads of Delegations at the 16th BRICS Summit posing during the BRICS Plus format, which took place on the last day. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had already returned to Delhi on October 24, 2024, and he was already pictured with the head of states of BRICS the previous day during the official group photo.
Viral video showing group photo taken on the third day of BRICS 2024
Taking a hint from the ANI logo, we found the original video was posted by news agency ANI on October 24, 2024, with the caption, "Russia: EAM Dr S Jaishankar with Heads of delegations at Kazan Expo International Exhibition Center, at the 16th BRICS Summit in BRICS plus format. (Video: Host broadcaster via Reuters)"
The caption clearly states that EAM Dr S Jaishankar was representing India in this official photo. He can also be spotted at the two seconds time stamp in the video below. This was after PM Modi had left for New Delhi, and the viral posts leave out this context to make the false claim that PM Modi was missing during the group photo.
In the below post by ANI during the BRICS Summit, we can also see Jaishankar in other visuals arriving at the Kazan Expo International Exhibition Center.
The reason for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's absence on the last day of the summit was already reported as he had returned back in New Delhi and was not scheduled to attend on the last day
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had already announced in a press release dated October 18, 2024, stating that PM Modi will visit Russia for the BRICS Summit from October 22, 2024 to October 23, 2024.
On the midnight of October 24, 2024, ANI posted at 12.24 am stating that PM Modi had landed in New Delhi from Russia. The viral video was taken on October 24, 2024, on the last day of the BRICS 2024 Summit when Modi was already back in India.
PM Modi present during BRICS 2024 group photo on second day of the Summit
A day prior to the group photo in the viral video, the BRICS leaders had also clicked a group photo on the second day of the summit. In this post on October 23, 2024, Prime Minister Modi can be seen in the group photo with other BRCIS leaders including Putin and Xi Jinping.
On October 23, 2024, ANI posted the video with PM Modi in it with the caption, "#WATCH | Russia: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other world leaders, at the family photo at Kazan Expo Center where BRICS Summit is about to begin. (Video: Host Broadcaster via Reuters)"