JOHANNESBURG: Showing respect to the Indian flag, PM Modi immediately picked up the tricolour placed on stage at a BRICS meeting here to mark the standing place of every leader so as not to step on it.

A video of the meeting showed South African President Cyril Ramaphosa acknowledging the PM’s gesture and picking up his country’s flag after stepping on it.

While Ramaphosa handed over his flag to an official, Modi kept the tricolour with him. Earlier, Modi also held a bilateral meeting with Ramaphosa during which they reviewed the progress made in bilateral ties.