Rahul, Rijiju clash over BRICS menu
Serving an all-vegetarian spread at a gala dinner hosted for BRICS leaders and delegates has erupted into a political slugfest between the Congress and the BJP. While Rahul Gandhi said 80 per cent of Indians are non-vegetarians and Indian fare is delicious, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju hit back at the Congress for “making politics even on the food menu.” The leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha made the comment a day after an all-vegetarian spread was served at a BRICS Summit gala dinner hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Bharat Mandapam. The guests had non-vegetarian food at the hotels where they stayed.
Rahul in posts on social media platforms X, Facebook and Instagram, said 80 per cent of Indians are non-vegetarians, and that Indian non-vegetarian food is as delicious as his sister’s chole bhature. He also posted a picture of chole bhature on a dining table, but made no direct reference to the BRICS dinner.
Rahul’s remarks elicted a response from the BJP. Rijiju said that all guests “relished Indian vegetarian cuisine which are rich in flavor and nutritional variety with diverse regional traditions.”
“I can’t believe that 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, Rijiju posted on X.
Without naming anyone specifically, Rijiju aimed at the Congress, accusing the party of turning the food served to BRICS leaders into a political controversy. “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 is rich in flavour and nutritional variety with diverse regional traditions,” Rijiju said.
Voicing support for Rahul Gandhi, Pawan Khera argued that India’s culinary diversity included some of the finest non-vegetarian dishes in the world and asked why the government opted not to feature them. “The BJP’s habit of imposing its dietary preferences on fellow Indians is already deeply problematic. Now, they have taken it a step further by imposing their own choices on dignitaries from across the world,” he said.
Reacting to Gandhi’s criticism, BJP national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari said, “When the Opposition has nothing except the food menu to criticise about the summit, it tells you how successful BRICS has been… Congress is sulking to see India emerge as a global consensus builder,” he wrote on X. Another BJP national spokesperson, Tuhin Sinha, alleged that Gandhi’s “petty and frivolous” remarks reflect his mentality as well as that of the Congress party. He said the remarks show why the Congress is “on the margins” today and has become a “fringe group”.
“If there were any responsible or sensible Leader of Opposition in the country, he would have congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi and India today. What India has achieved through the New Delhi Resolution is historic. For the first time, all BRICS nations were seen standing united with one voice on all serious global issues. This had not happened before,” he said.
Khandvi mille (a feuille steamed gram-flour roll), and khumb galouti (pan-grilled mushroom kebabs with mint pearls) were served as starters for the guests at Bharat Mandapam on Saturday - the first day of two-day BRICS Summit hosted by India. The main course offered paneer lababdar, gucchi marmik (Himalayan morel mushrooms and tender asparagus) and carrot bean poriyal. The other items on the menu included thakkali belle saaru, light lentil broth, millet pulao, beetroot raita, and assorted Indian breads. For the desserts, Old Delhi fruit cream with jalebi and shahtoot phirni wrapped up the menu for the VVIP guests.
