AiBotRussian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov was caught on camera losing his temper with a journalist during a press conference at the BRICS Foreign Ministers Summit in New Delhi. The incident took place on Thursday, and footage of the confrontation has gone viral on social media.
According to eyewitnesses, the journalist, whose identity has not been confirmed, kept interrupting Lavrov, causing the Russian Foreign Minister to become visibly agitated. The altercation began when Lavrov, attempting to address the audience, was consistently interrupted by the journalist’s phone ringing.
The Russian Foreign Minister, visibly frustrated, demanded that the journalist leave the press conference. In a tense exchange, Lavrov threatened to have the journalist’s phone confiscated and warned him that officials would take drastic measures if he did not comply.
“I am asking you, please, can you leave us?” Lavrov was heard saying. “I am not joking. I am asking you, leave us, please.” However, the journalist refused to back down, sparking an intense confrontation.
The situation escalated when Lavrov, exasperated, made a direct reference to India’s strict cell phone rules, stating, “If you don’t surrender your phone, they will take out a gun, you know?” The comment was in reference to India’s strict laws regarding mobile phone usage in sensitive areas, where officials can confiscate devices and impose penalties for non-compliance.
Following the confrontation, the Russian Foreign Minister continued with the press conference, albeit visibly shaken by the exchange. The incident has sparked widespread debate on social media, with many criticizing the journalist’s behavior and others defending his actions as a legitimate attempt to seek answers from the Russian Foreign Minister.
In a statement released by the Russian Foreign Ministry, Lavrov’s office emphasized that the Foreign Minister had been responding to legitimate questions when the interruption occurred. The statement further noted that the Russian Foreign Minister had been professional in handling the situation and remained committed to engaging with journalists.
Meanwhile, Indian authorities have not made any official comment on the incident, and the identity of the journalist responsible for the interruption remains unknown.