BRICS Summit Controversy: Indian Officials Seen Eating During Leaders’ Speeches

NEW DELHI: The BRICS summit in New Delhi has drawn criticism over the conduct of some Indian officials, while the circulation of AI-generated images by ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) figures has triggered a separate controversy on social media.

Videos circulating online appeared to show Indian National Security Adviser Ajit Doval eating during remarks by Russian President Vladimir Putin, while Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal was also seen eating during Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian’s address.

The footage sparked criticism from social media users, who questioned whether the conduct was appropriate during speeches at a major international diplomatic gathering.

Indian journalist Ashok Swain criticised the officials and the broader handling of the summit, saying the Indian foreign ministry should have focused on strengthening the country’s international standing rather than what he described as political image-building and free hospitality.

The criticism quickly spread online as users debated diplomatic etiquette and the conduct expected from senior officials during speeches by visiting heads of state.

The videos, however, provide only a limited view of the events and do not by themselves establish the context surrounding the officials’ actions.

A separate controversy emerged after BJP leaders shared images purportedly showing events at the BRICS summit.

Some of the images were identified as AI-generated or fabricated, with one appearing to include former Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, who died in 2024.

Other manipulated images reportedly showed Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan attending the summit, despite his absence from the event.

The circulation of the images prompted questions over the use of artificial intelligence to portray diplomatic events in ways that could create a misleading impression of international participation or political success.

The two controversies have fuelled criticism of how the summit was presented domestically and internationally.

While the conduct shown in the videos and the circulation of fabricated images have generated negative reactions online, the incidents should be considered separately from the substantive outcomes of the BRICS summit itself.

The episode nevertheless highlights the growing challenge posed by AI-generated political content, particularly when manipulated images are presented as genuine records of international events.