A political row broke out on Monday over the entirely vegetarian menu served at the gala dinner hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for BRICS leaders at Bharat Mandapam, with the Congress accusing the government of “imposing” dietary preferences on foreign dignitaries and the BJP dismissing the criticism as an attempt to politicise food.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said on X that 80 per cent of Indians were non-vegetarian and added, “Indian non-vegetarian food is delicious. As are my sister's chole bhature,” while sharing a picture of the dish.
Congress leader Pawan Khera said the choice of menu reflected what he called the ruling party’s “mindset to impose”.
“The mentality behind the menu was also visible in the internal politics of the country, and now it has started appearing in the country's foreign policy also. It is the mindset to impose,” Khera told ANI.
“People are coming from different countries. India is very rich in its cuisine. There are many options in veg and non-veg in every corner of the country; You should at least give options,” he added.
The BJP hit back, with Union Minister Kiren Rijiju defending the menu as a showcase of India’s vegetarian culinary traditions.
“I can't believe that the Congress party is making politics even on the food menu served to the leaders of BRICS nations. Our guests relished Indian vegetarian cuisine, which are rich in flavor and nutritional variety with diverse regional traditions,” Mr. Rijiju said on X.
Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh said the visiting leaders and delegates had praised India’s hospitality and arrangements, and accused the Congress of “negativity and jealousy” over the successful summit.
“Now Rahul Gandhi is upset and does not understand that many people in Western countries and other parts of the world are moving towards vegetarian food. The vegetarian food served at the gala dinner was nutritious, and everyone enjoyed it... The world media is praising the country, but they are finding faults even in the gala dinner. This shows their negativity and jealousy,” he told ANI.
(With inputs from ANI)