Indian officials eat snacks during BRICS Summit, sparking online debate
Videos of Randhir Jaiswal eating nuts were sped up and circulated, leading to mockery and defence.
AI-assisted coverage comparison, editor-supervised · How this was made
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Photograph: Sözcü (embedded from source)
What this story says
- Indian Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval were filmed eating snacks during the BRICS Summit in New Delhi.
- Videos of Jaiswal eating snacks were circulated on social media at three times the normal speed, leading to mockery.
- Some social media users defended the officials, stating that refreshments were provided for delegates.
- The BRICS Summit joint declaration included a call for a ceasefire in Gaza.
Who covered it
Percentages are shares of the 6 outlets carrying a published leaning rating. 12 of the 18 outlets we know ran this story carry no rating and are not counted in them. Coverage measured .
Trust
42/100
Craft
59/100
Hype
68/100
18 sources · methodology
Thin on the left so far
Only 1 of the 6 outlets with a published leaning rating that ran this story are rated left.
This story is still being watched, so it is a count and not yet a finding. Coverage keeps arriving for hours after an event, and a side that has published nothing this morning may publish by tonight. If it is still true when we stop checking, we will say so plainly.
During the BRICS Summit in New Delhi, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval were filmed eating snacks. Videos of Jaiswal consuming nuts, particularly, were circulated on social media platforms at three times their normal speed. This editing led to some users mocking the officials' actions.
The incident sparked a debate online. Some social media users defended Jaiswal and Doval, arguing that refreshments are typically provided for delegates during lengthy international summits. Others criticised the officials' behaviour. Journalist Mario Nawfal reported that a person eventually removed the nut box from Jaiswal.
The BRICS Summit concluded with a joint declaration that included a call for a ceasefire in Gaza. The declaration also urged respect for United Nations Security Council resolutions and expressed concern over the continuation of violence despite a previous ceasefire.
Disagreement on the removal of the snack box
Sözcü reported that officials eventually took the nut box from Jaiswal. Haberler and Haber7 also stated that the box was eventually taken away by another person. In contrast, India Today reported that a person eventually took the nut box from Jaiswal, without specifying if it was an official.
What the coverage left out
None of the left-rated reports mentioned the BRICS Summit joint declaration's call for a ceasefire in Gaza. None of the right-rated reports mentioned the BRICS Summit joint declaration's call for a ceasefire in Gaza.
Still developing. We have re-checked which outlets are covering this 6 times, most recently on 14 Sept 2026, 14:15, and will add the sides that appear.
How each side covered it
Our own reading of the reporting listed below, written from the outlets’ articles rather than quoted from them. The reasoning is set out on our methodology page.
Left
1 rated outlet
- The left-rated report from Sözcü focused on the incident of Randhir Jaiswal eating nuts during Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian's speech. It quoted journalist Mario Nawfal describing the scene as Jaiswal "destroying" a box of nuts, licking his fingers, and eventually having the box removed by someone. The report also noted that this behaviour led to humorous comments and advice for the spokesperson to watch his weight. The Sözcü report also included details about the BRICS joint declaration's call for a ceasefire in Gaza.
Centre
0 rated outlets
No outlet rated centre has run this story so far. We are still checking, and will say plainly if that does not change.
Right
5 rated outlets
- The right-rated reports from India Today, Iefimerida, Protothema, REALITATEA.NET, and Latestly focused on the online reaction to videos of Randhir Jaiswal and Ajit Doval eating snacks at the BRICS Summit. India Today highlighted the "trolling at 3X speed" and the subsequent defence of the officials, quoting journalists and a BJP spokesperson who called for an end to "dehumanising" officials. Iefimerida and Protothema reported that the videos went viral and involved Indian government officials eating nuts. REALITATEA.NET described it as a "viral moment" where an Indian official was "surprised snoring peanuts" while leaders discussed the Gulf crisis. Latestly noted that the viral videos "divide netizens" between those mocking summit etiquette and those defending the officials.
Questions about this coverage
- How did the left and right cover Indian officials eat snacks during BRICS Summit, sparking online debate?
- Of the 6 outlets on this story carrying a published leaning rating, 17% are rated left, 0% are rated centre, 83% are rated right. Those percentages are shares of the rated outlets, not of every outlet that ran it, which was 18. The sections above set out what each side emphasised, in its own terms.
- Is Indian officials eat snacks during BRICS Summit, sparking online debate left or right?
- Too few of the outlets on this story carry a published leaning rating to say. 6 of them do, and this site does not characterise a field under 12: at that size one newsroom filing moves the share by ten points. The percentages above are the count as it stands.
- Is the coverage of Indian officials eat snacks during BRICS Summit, sparking online debate biased?
- Indian officials eat snacks during BRICS Summit, sparking online debate is one event reported by 18 outlets, and this page does not rate the story as biased or unbiased. What it publishes is the spread: which outlets ran it, where named rating organisations place each of them on the spectrum, and what each side chose to lead with. A leaning rating describes an outlet's record over time, not this article, and the two should not be run together.
- Which side is not reporting Indian officials eat snacks during BRICS Summit, sparking online debate?
- When we first saw this story, outlets rated left had barely covered it. Coverage accretes for hours after an event, so that is where to look rather than a verdict — the split above is the current count, and it is the one to read.
- Which outlets covered Indian officials eat snacks during BRICS Summit, sparking online debate?
- 18 that we know of, every one of them listed further up this page with a link to its own report and to what we hold on the publisher. Nothing here is a summary of somebody else's summary: the outlets are named so the original reporting can be read.
- What happened at the BRICS Summit that went viral?
- Videos of Indian officials Randhir Jaiswal and Ajit Doval eating snacks during the BRICS Summit in New Delhi became viral. Specifically, footage of Jaiswal eating nuts was sped up, leading to online discussion and debate.
- How did social media react to the videos?
- Social media users were divided. Some mocked the officials for eating snacks during speeches, while others defended them, stating that refreshments were provided and criticising the "trolling" and "engagement farming" tactics used.
- Was the snack incident the only news from the BRICS Summit?
- No, the BRICS Summit also produced a joint declaration. This declaration included a call for a ceasefire in Gaza and urged respect for United Nations Security Council resolutions regarding the conflict.
Read it at the source
18 outlets, grouped by the leaning a published rating gives them. Every headline links to the original; an underlined outlet name opens our profile of that publisher.
Left
1Centre
0No outlet in this group ran the story.
Right
5- Viral Became a Member of the Indian Foreign Minister Who Frantically Ate Peanuts at the BRICS -Masage Session and Licked His Fingers on Camera - iefimerida.gr (opens Iefimerida in a new tab)
Iefimerida — is Iefimerida biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Viral Video of Indian Government Officials Eating Nuts While Putin and Pesekian Were Talking (opens Protothema in a new tab)
Protothema — is Protothema biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Trolling at 3X speed: People back munching Randhir Jaiswal, give critics a mouthful (opens India Today in a new tab)
India Today — is India Today biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Viral Moment at BRICS: Officially Surprised Indian Snoring Peanuts While Leaders Discussed the Gulf Crisis (opens REALITATEA.NET in a new tab)
REALITATEA.NET — is REALITATEA.NET biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Ajit Doval and Randhir Jaiswal Seen Eating Dry Fruits at BRICS Summit; Viral Videos Divide Netizens | 📰 LatestLY (opens Latestly in a new tab)
Not rated
12- Indian Government Officials Eating Nuts During Putin and Pesekian's Speech Go Viral (opens Newsit.gr in a new tab)
- BRICS: Indian Diplomat, Ate the Nuts in the Bowl and Licked His Fingers (opens Sibiu 100% in a new tab)
Sibiu 100% — is Sibiu 100% biased? Our profile of this outlet
- While Iranian Leader Pezeshkian Was Speaking, the Minister's Action Made Everyone Laugh. (opens tgrthaber.com in a new tab)
tgrthaber.com — is tgrthaber.com biased? Our profile of this outlet
- 'Going nuts'; Indian diplomat mocked for snacking during BRICS speech (opens The Current in a new tab)
The Current — is The Current biased? Our profile of this outlet
- BRICS Summit's Real Star? A Box of Pistachios (opens globalnewspakistan in a new tab)
globalnewspakistan — is globalnewspakistan biased? Our profile of this outletOpinion
- A Diplomat Ate All the Nuts and Licked His Fingers Until His Front Bowl Was Taken. (opens Mediafax in a new tab)
- A Hilarious Diplomatic Intervention in BRICS: They Had to Remove the Box. (opens Akşam in a new tab)
- The Indian Diplomat Was Left Speechless with the Nuts in His Mouth! They Took Them Away From Him While the Iranian President Was Speaking. (opens Halk TV in a new tab)
Show 4 more
- Congress Spokesperson's Bizarre Question to the Angry 'Uncle' Who Objected to Snacking, Leaving Aside the BRICS Achievement. (opens TFIPOST in a new tab)
- The Appetite of the Indian Diplomat Was Stamped on the Peak, They Finally Took the Box in Front of Him! (opens Haber7 in a new tab)
- He Made a Huge Impact at the Summit! The Cameras Turned From Pezeshkian to Him: When He Wouldn't Stop, They Took the Box Away From Him. (opens turkiyegazetesi.com.tr in a new tab)
turkiyegazetesi.com.tr — is turkiyegazetesi.com.tr biased? Our profile of this outlet
- What Happened While Pezeshkiyan Was Speaking Was Shocking! In the End, They Took the Box From Him. (opens Haberler in a new tab)
How did this read?
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