India hosted the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi on September 12–13, 2026. The summit brought together member countries to discuss important issues including economic cooperation, reform of global governance, trade, artificial intelligence, health, energy, food security, and climate change. The New Delhi Declaration was adopted during the summit, with member countries condemning terrorism and emphasising multilateral cooperation to address global challenges.
However, alongside the high-profile international event, a parallel narrative of fake news and misleading information about the BRICS Summit was observed on social media. Several types of false and misleading content were circulated, ranging from old photographs and videos being presented in a new context to AI-generated images and videos being passed off as genuine. The pattern of these claims shows how content can be distorted by linking old material to current events, presenting it out of context, or using AI-generated content to create confusion around India’s growing diplomatic engagement on the international stage.
Pakistani Propaganda Handles
An account named Anushi Tiwari Indian has been identified as a Pakistani propaganda handle that frequently shares misleading content about events in India. The account lists Uttar Pradesh as its location in its X bio, while information available on X indicates that it operates from South Asia. The account was created in August 2025 and has changed its username five times since its creation.Another account, War Analyst, is operated from Pakistan and has also repeatedly shared fake and misleading information targeting India. The account has been withheld in India.
Fact Checks of Misleading Information Related to BRICS
Anushi Tiwari shared a video claiming that Delhi Police used force against young protesters during the BRICS Summit in Delhi and that a woman protester was dragged by her hair. Our investigation found the claim to be misleading. The viral video is not from Delhi. It shows an incident involving alleged police action during a protest by paramedical students in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh.
Anushi Tiwari also shared a video claiming that during the BRICS event, an Indian organisation called “Cockroach” had started a march towards Delhi, with protesters allegedly entering the national capital after police failed to stop them. Our investigation found the claim to be false. No such protest took place in Delhi during the BRICS Summit. The viral video was actually from a farmers’ protest in 2024.
In another instance, a video was shared with the claim that young people staged a protest in Delhi during the BRICS Summit and were forcibly removed by the police. We found the claim to be misleading. The viral video is not recent and is from a CJP protest held on July 20.
During preparations for the BRICS Summit in Delhi, Anushi Tiwari claimed that the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi had recommended to the Ministry of Home Affairs that the BRICS Summit be shifted to another location due to security concerns. Our investigation found the claim to be false. The Lieutenant Governor had not submitted any such recommendation or report.
War Analyst shared a video claiming that Indian Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal was questioned sharply about a viral video allegedly showing him eating nuts during the BRICS Summit. Our investigation found the claim to be misleading and the viral video to be digitally altered. In the original video, Jaiswal was not asked any such questions.
During our investigation, we also found that some Indian social media users shared misleading information related to the BRICS Summit.A video of Prime Minister Narendra Modi was shared with the claim that his microphone was switched off as soon as he began speaking at the BRICS Summit.
Our investigation found that the viral video was not from the BRICS Summit held in Delhi. It was from a BRICS Summit held in Brazil. We also found that PM Modi’s microphone was not switched off and that he delivered his address at the BRICS Summit.
A video of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping was shared claiming that it was from the BRICS Summit, with the claim that PM Modi gifted Xi Jinping a portrait made from his own photograph.
We found in our investigation that the viral video is not from the BRICS Summit. The video is from 2019, when Xi Jinping visited India. During the visit, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi exchanged gifts in Tamil Nadu. Xi presented Modi with a Chinese decorative plate featuring Modi’s portrait, while Modi gifted Xi a handwoven silk shawl embroidered with Xi Jinping’s portrait.
Another video was shared with the claim that during the BRICS Summit, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi touched the feet of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and sought his blessings. DFRAC’s investigation found the claim to be false. We found that PM Modi did not touch Pezeshkian’s feet and that the viral video was AI-generated.
Conclusion:
The BRICS Summit was accompanied by the circulation of fake and misleading information on social media. Several users shared old, edited, and out-of-context content by falsely linking it to the summit. These posts created confusion around events related to India and the BRICS Summit, demonstrating how recycled footage, manipulated content, and AI-generated media can be used to distort the context of major international events.
