All-vegetarian BRICS dinner sparks political row in India
The dinner, held at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, featured a multi-course vegetarian menu showcasing regional Indian dishes
Highlights:
- India's BRICS gala dinner served an entirely vegetarian menu
- Opposition leaders criticised the lack of meat and seafood options
- Critics said the menu failed to reflect India's culinary diversity
- BJP defended the menu, citing nutrition, flavours and regional traditions
- Rahul Gandhi highlighted India's large non-vegetarian population and traditions
- Debate intensified alongside Xi Jinping's absence from the dinner
A political dispute erupted in India over an all-vegetarian menu served at a gala dinner hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the 2026 BRICS Summit, with opposition leaders accusing the government of failing to reflect the country's culinary diversity.
The dinner, held at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, featured a multi-course vegetarian menu showcasing regional Indian dishes. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) defended the menu, saying foreign guests appreciated the range of flavours, nutrition and regional traditions represented in the meal.
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The gala dinner menu
The menu included Khandvi mille and Khumb Galouti as starters, followed by Paneer Lababdar, Gucchi Marmik, 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.
Opposition questions lack of meat options
Opposition leaders from several parties criticised the decision not to offer non-vegetarian dishes at the diplomatic dinner.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi wrote on social media platform X that "80% of Indians are non-vegetarian", while highlighting India's non-vegetarian culinary traditions and his sister's chole bhature.
Congress leader Pawan Khera accused the BJP of extending its dietary preferences to international leaders and questioned why the government had chosen not to showcase India's multi-cuisine culture.
AIMIM leader Waris Pathan said mutton, chicken and fish were an important part of India's culinary identity. He argued that visiting leaders could have been offered dishes such as Hyderabadi biryani, butter chicken and Goan fish curry, referring humorously to Modi's "Naraz Fufa" phrase in connection with the absence of mutton and chicken.
The controversy also unfolded amid discussion over the absence of Chinese President Xi Jinping and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan from the gala dinner.
Criticism over diplomatic message
Former parliamentarian and bureaucrat Jawhar Sircar described an enforced all-vegetarian state dinner as a diplomatic mistake and compared it with Aesop's fable The Fox & the Stork. He also pointed to a 2010 state dinner hosted by former prime minister Manmohan Singh for then-US President Barack Obama, where both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes were offered.
Trinamool Congress leader Mahua Moitra jokingly suggested that visiting leaders should slip away to local eateries such as Karim's for Burrah Kababs.
Shiv Sena-UBT leader Priyanka Chaturvedi said guests understood the constraints involved in hosting such an event, but argued that providing dietary options would have been more consistent with India's Atithi Devo Bhava philosophy.
BJP rejects criticism
The BJP rejected the criticism, saying the Opposition was politicising the menu and diverting attention from the summit.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said he was surprised that Congress was politicising the food, adding that foreign guests had enjoyed the flavour, nutritional variety and regional heritage of Indian vegetarian cuisine.
BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari said the fact that the Opposition had little to criticise beyond the food showed how successful the BRICS summit had been. He accused Congress of "sulking" over India's growing global profile.
Another BJP spokesperson, Tuhin Sinha, described the opposition remarks as "petty and frivolous". He said Modi had secured consensus among BRICS members on major global issues through the New Delhi Resolution.
With inputs taken from The Print, Times of India, The Telegraph India and NDTV
