On Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi hosted the BRICS Summit gala dinner at the Bharat Mandapam, offering an all‑vegetarian spread to leaders and delegates from the bloc.
The following day, Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi posted on social media that 80% of Indians are non‑vegetarian and shared a photo of chole bhature, a popular North‑Indian dish. While Gandhi did not directly mention the BRICS dinner, Congress media head Pawan Khera released a screenshot of the event’s menu and criticized the BJP for imposing its dietary preferences on foreign dignitaries, arguing that India’s diverse culinary heritage includes many non‑vegetarian delicacies.
BJP officials responded sharply. Union Minister Kiren Rijiju said the guests had enjoyed “rich, flavourful Indian vegetarian cuisine” and that the criticism was unwarranted. National spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari added that the opposition’s focus on the menu highlighted the success of the BRICS summit. Congress social media head Supriya Shrinate defended Gandhi’s post as a celebration of India’s diversity, while spokesperson Shama Mohamed also took a swipe at the government, suggesting that visiting leaders might prefer to dine elsewhere.
The menu itself featured starters such as khandvi mille and khumb galouti, a main course of paneer lababdar, gucci marmik and carrot bean poriyal, and desserts like Old Delhi fruit cream with jalebi and shahtoot phirni. The event sparked a broader debate about whether the BJP’s promotion of vegetarianism reflects an imposed orthodoxy, with critics citing recent actions in states like Bengal and Bihar as evidence of a manufactured dietary narrative.
