Former India head coach Ravi Shastri praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's BRICS diplomacy, saying he felt "prouder as an Indian" seeing Modi alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping. Congress hit back, recalling a 2012 meeting where former PM Manmohan Singh was pictured with Chinese President Hu Jintao and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, and alleging that public figures are being pressured to promote government propaganda.