BRICS: PM Modi notices the tricolour on the floor, stops to pick it up; others follow suit

Johannesburg: The BRICS leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, arrived at the Sandton Convention Centre to attend the plenary sessions. Before attending the sessions, the leaders posed for a BRICS family photograph.

However, before everyone could be positioned together, PM Modi and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa walked up to the spot where they were supposed to stand for the BRICS family photograph.

As PM Modi got closer to the spot, he noticed the Indian Tricolour was placed on the floor alongside other leaders' national flags. Immediately, PM Modi bent down, picked up the national flag and put it in his pocket.

The South African President followed suit and also picked up his national flag. As the other leaders approached the stage, the organisers removed the flags. However, before this could happen, China’s President Xi Jinping could be seen walking over the Chinese flag, apparently unaware of its presence on the floor.

Other than PM Modi, Jinping and Ramaphosa, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, and Brazil President Lula da Silva were also in the BRICS group photo.

The plenaries are scheduled to be followed by a cultural performance and a banquet dinner hosted by President Ramaphosa. PM Modi arrived in South Africa on Tuesday and received a ceremonial welcome at Waterkloof Air Force Base. Upon his arrival, PM Modi received a rousing welcome from the Indian diaspora chanting 'Vande Mataram'.