An all vegetarian dinner served to BRICS leaders in New Delhi has triggered a political debate, with Congress leaders accusing the government of ignoring India’s diverse food culture. The BJP has defended the menu and accused the Opposition of focusing on food instead of the summit’s diplomatic achievements.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi hosted the BRICS leaders and delegates for a gala dinner at Bharat Mandapam on Saturday. The elaborate menu featured vegetarian dishes from different parts of India, including paneer, mushrooms, millet, regional vegetables and traditional desserts.
Rahul Gandhi Questions All Vegetarian Menu
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi criticised the absence of non vegetarian dishes in a post on X.
“For the record: 80% of Indians are non-vegetarian. Indian non-vegetarian food is delicious. As are my sister’s chole bhature,” Gandhi wrote.
Although he did not directly mention the BRICS dinner, his post came amid the controversy over the menu.
Congress media and publicity department head Pawan Khera directly criticised the government’s decision.
“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,” Khera said.
He argued that India’s food culture includes a wide range of non vegetarian dishes and questioned why they were not included while hosting international leaders.
What Was Served at the BRICS Dinner?
The dinner included more than 10 dishes, with millet and regional Indian cuisine playing a central role.
Starters included khandvi mille, a steamed gram flour preparation, and khumb galouti, a mushroom kebab served with mint pearls and sheermal bread.
The main course featured paneer lababdar, gucchi marmik made with Himalayan morel mushrooms and asparagus, carrot bean poriyal, thakkali belle saaru, millet pulao, beetroot raita and assorted Indian breads.
Desserts included Old Delhi fruit cream with jalebi and shahtoot phirni, a rice and milk pudding topped with mulberries.
Hotels hosting foreign delegations reportedly prepared separate menus based on the dietary preferences of individual guests. At the Taj Mahal hotel in New Delhi, chefs also included meat based dishes such as nalli nihari in an India Friendship Menu.
BJP Defends Vegetarian Spread
The BJP rejected the Congress criticism and said the party was trying to create a political controversy over food.
Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said the visiting leaders had enjoyed Indian vegetarian cuisine.
“I can’t believe that Congress party is making politics even on the food menu served to the leaders of BRICS nations,” Rijiju said in a post on X.
He described vegetarian food as rich in flavour and nutritional variety, with dishes representing India’s regional traditions.
BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari said the Congress had little to criticise about the summit itself.
“When the opposition has nothing except the food menu to criticise about the summit, it tells you how successful BRICS has been,” Bhandari said.
Another BJP spokesperson, Tuhin Sinha, accused Rahul Gandhi and the Congress of making “petty and frivolous” remarks instead of recognising India’s diplomatic achievements.
Social Media Rumours About Xi Jinping
The vegetarian menu also became the subject of speculation online after Chinese President Xi Jinping did not attend the gala dinner.
Some social media users linked his absence to the food being served, while unverified claims suggested that he had returned to his hotel to eat non vegetarian food.
People familiar with the matter, however, reportedly said Xi skipped the dinner because he was tired after a long flight and a demanding first day in New Delhi.
The controversy over the BRICS menu has since become part of a wider political debate over vegetarianism, dietary freedom and how India presents its cultural diversity at international events.
