Political uproar over serving vegetarian food to foreign guests at BRICS
Indian tradition does not impose political, religious, or biased dietary choices on guests, especially from abroad.
During the BRICS summit, critics have targeted the ruling party over the decision to serve only vegetarian dishes at the grand dinner hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Leaders, former diplomats, and others have questioned the government's decision regarding the food served to foreign leaders and delegations. The selection of food has sparked a debate following the entirely vegetarian menu at the dinner.
Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, stated that 80 percent of India's population is non-vegetarian and that Indian non-vegetarian food is extremely delicious.
Rahul Gandhi shared a picture of ‘chole-bhature’ on X, writing,
“For the record, 80 percent of Indians are non-vegetarian. Indian non-vegetarian food is extremely delicious, as are the chole-bhature made by my sister.”
On Sunday, Rahul Gandhi hosted Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim for breakfast.
He then remarked that,
“Serving only vegetarian food at diplomatic events during Narendra Modi's tenure has become a political message. The government has presented itself as the leader of a vocal Hindutva that promotes vegetarianism.”
Pawan Khera, head of the Congress media and publicity department, alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party's habit of imposing its food preferences on the citizens has already become a serious issue.
Pawan Khera wrote on ‘X’,
“Now the BJP has taken a step further by imposing its preferences on dignitaries from around the world. India is a rich, diverse country with a variety of cuisines. It has some of the best non-vegetarian dishes in the world, which are loved by people globally. So why did the Modi government decide to hide this part of Indian culture? Is it ashamed of the diversity that gives India its identity?”
Former diplomat KC Singh stated that,
“In Indian tradition, it has never been the case to impose political, religious, or biased food choices on guests, especially those from abroad.”
KC Singh further commented,
“What would happen if U.S. President Donald Trump served beef to Prime Minister Modi at an official dinner? Trump's favorite food is hamburgers. Even good Indian vegetarian food was not served to foreign guests.”
The debate over vegetarian versus non-vegetarian food intensified when a self-styled baba, Dhirendra Shastri, advised against serving non-vegetarian food during the Durga Puja festival in West Bengal.
Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi and Congress leader Pawan Khera's comments drew sharp reactions from Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju.
He stated,
“I cannot believe that the Congress party is politicizing the menu of food served to BRICS leaders. Our guests enjoyed Indian vegetarian dishes. These dishes are rich in taste and nutrition and represent the diverse regional traditions of India.”
Former MP and retired bureaucrat Jawahar Sarkar shared the menu of the state dinner held in 2010 in honor of then U.S. President Barack Obama. He indicated that serving only vegetarian food could be a diplomatic blunder.
He wrote on Facebook,
“This reminds me of the famous story ‘The Fox and the Stork’. In it, the cunning fox invites the stork for a meal and serves soup in a shallow plate, making it impossible for the stork to eat.”
He further added,
“On the other hand, I am sharing a copy of the menu of that state dinner which Prime Minister Manmohan Singh served to President Obama and his delegation in 2010. Since almost all of them were non-vegetarian, the meal included a good mix of India's exquisite vegetarian dishes along with famous non-vegetarian dishes.”
Jawahar Sarkar claimed,
“Modi's most important guests, Chinese President Xi Jinping and UAE Crown Prince, did not attend this forcibly vegetarian dinner. This is shameful. Prime Minister Modi has been doing this for the past 12 years—trying to impress his vegetarian supporters by making foreign guests uncomfortable.”
Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra wrote on X,
“Will I be called a bad MP if I suggest that BRICS leaders skip this menu and order burra kebabs from nearby Karim's?”
All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen spokesperson and Maharashtra MLA Waris Pathan wrote on X, if you want to promote vegetarianism, please do, but do not limit India's food culture to just a vegetarian menu. We should have presented all the flavors of India to our guests—mutton masala fry, Hyderabadi biryani, tandoori chicken, butter chicken, Goan fish curry, and other famous Indian dishes.
” Pathan wrote,
“Tell the world that India's diversity is not only reflected in languages and cultures but also on our plates.”