Indian officials have faced online mockery after videos showing them eating nuts and dry fruits during speeches by foreign leaders at the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi went viral on social media.
One widely shared clip shows Indian Foreign Ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal repeatedly reaching for a box of nuts while Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian was delivering his address.
Jaiswal can be seen taking several servings from the box and licking his fingers before reaching for more. The footage quickly attracted attention on social media, with users posting jokes and criticism about his repeated trips to the snack box and his table manners.
Doval also seen eating during Putin’s speech
A separate video circulating online shows Indian National Security Adviser Ajit Doval eating dry fruits while Russian President Vladimir Putin was speaking at the summit.
The two clips turned otherwise formal proceedings at the high-profile gathering into a source of online humour and criticism directed at the Indian officials.
Iranian President Pezeshkian is speaking at the BRICS summit.
Behind him, India’s MEA spokesman Randhir Jaiswal is treating a bowl of nuts like a state banquet. Eating. Licking his finger. Going back in.
Protocol lasted until the cashews ran out of patience. Then someone quietly… pic.twitter.com/gs8Z7UMTqn— распад и неуважение (@VictorKvert2008) September 14, 2026
The footage prompted social media users to focus on the officials’ behaviour during speeches by visiting leaders, with some reactions questioning the appropriateness of eating snacks during formal addresses.
Neither video, however, provides broader context about the circumstances in which the officials were eating or whether the snacks were provided as part of the summit arrangements.
BRICS nations call for maximum restraint amid Middle East tensions
BRICS summit in New Delhi
The 18th BRICS Summit was held in New Delhi on September 12 and 13, bringing together leaders and senior officials from several major emerging economies.
Among those attending were Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.
The summit focused on discussions involving member states and their cooperation on regional and international issues, while the presence of senior officials from participating countries drew significant attention online.
The viral food-related clips provided a lighter and more informal moment from the otherwise closely watched diplomatic gathering.
