India Did Not Oppose Palestine's Inclusion in BRICS, Viral Claim Is False!

BRICS has strongly condemned Israel while supporting Palestine.

Fact-Check | India did not oppose Palestine's inclusion in BRICS.

(Photo: Altered by The Quint)

A post on X (formerly Twitter) alleging that 'India asked BRICS to not include Palestine in BRICS but Russia and China rejected India's stance' is going viral.

Here, BRICS refers to the intergovernmental organisation comprising emerging global economies, such as Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, and the United Arab Emirates.

An archive of the post can be found here.

(Source: X(formerly Twitter)/Screenshot)

What is the truth?: The claim is false.

• There have been no reports of this incident from reputable news sources.

• Further, the BRICS nations have publicly condemned Israel's actions.

How did we find the truth? First, a keyword search directed us to news articles from several credible sources reporting on India and BRICS' handling of the Israel-Palestine conflict.

• These articles highlights that the BRICS condemned Israel's war on Gaza.
  

Published in November 2023.

(Source: Al Jazeera/Screenshot)

Last updated in June 2024.

(Source: The Economic Times/Screenshot)

Secondly, on 10 June, the Ministry of External Affairs published the 'Joint Statement of the BRICS Ministers of Foreign Affairs/International Relations'.

• In the statement the BRICS Ministers expressed deep concern over the escalating violence in Palestine, leading to severe civilian casualties and infrastructure damage.

• They further condemn Israel’s military actions in Rafah and the displacement of the Palestinian population.

• This joint statement proves that the BRICS nations stand against Israel's actions.

The BRICS Ministers' joint statement.

(Source: Ministry of External Affairs website/Screenshot)

• Lastly, we found the Ministry of External Affairs' responses to questions regarding India's stand on Palestine.

• Shri M. Badruddin Ajmal, raised a question (No. 48) in the Lok Sabha regarding India's stand on the Israel-Palestine conflict. In response, on 2 February, the Ministry of External Affairs officially acknowledged their support of a 'sovereign, independent and viable State of Palestine within secure and recognized borders'.

The answer was delivered by Shri V. Muraleedharan.

(Source: Ministry of External Affairs website/Screenshot)

Conclusion: The viral claim is false as India's official position is not an anti-Palestinian one.

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