A day after an all-vegetarian menu was served at the Brics Sumit Galas dinner , Congress leader Rahul Gandhi took to X to say that 80 per cent of Indians were “non-vegetarian”.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi hosted the dinner for the leaders and delegates of the BRICS Summit at the Bharat Mandapam on Saturday.
In the post on X, Gandhi attached an image of Chole Bhature on a dining table. "For the record: 80% of Indians are non-vegetarian. Indian non-vegetarian food is delicious. As are my sister's chole bhature," he wrote.
The elaborate all-vegetarian menu garnered attention and led to a social media debate.
The menu featured 'Khandvi mille', a feuille steamed gram-flour roll, and 'khumb galouti', pan-grilled mushroom kebabs with mint pearls, as starters. The main course offered 'paneer lababdar', 'gucchi marmik' -- Himalayan morel mushrooms and tender asparagus and carrot bean poriyal.
'Thakkali belle saaru' - light lentil broth, millet pulao, beetroot raita, and assorted Indian breads were also part of the main course.
For dessert, they served Jelebi with Old Delhi fruit cream and 'shahtoot phirni'
Gandhi’s remark was immediately slammed by the BJP. Kiren Rijiju took to X to comment on Congress 'making politics' without naming anyone specifically.
“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,” he said.
Pawan Khera meanwhile questioned the BJP’s "problematic habit of imposing its dietary preferences on fellow Indians".
“Now, they have taken it a step further by imposing their own choices on dignitaries from across the world. India is a rich, diverse, multi-cuisine country, home to some of the finest non-vegetarian delicacies that people across the world relish and enjoy. So why did the Modi government choose to hide this part of India’s culture? Is it ashamed of the diversity that makes India what it is?” he said.
