The 18th BRICS Summit, held at Bharat Mandapam in the capital, Delhi, concluded successfully on September 13. Heads of state and representatives from various countries participated in this two-day international summit. Amidst this, the vegetarian meal served at the gala dinner has sparked intense political debate across the country. Opposition parties have alleged that the government imposed its own food preferences even on international guests.
Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, remarked that while approximately 80 percent of India’s population consumes non-vegetarian food, only vegetarian dishes were served to world leaders at Bharat Mandapam. Rahul Gandhi also posted a photo of Delhi’s popular dish, ‘Chole-Bhature’, on social media. Read more: Hindi Diwas 2026: “Learn all the languages of the world, but never forsake your mother tongue… Best wishes on Hindi Diwas.”
What is Pawan Khera’s allegation?
Congress leader Pawan Khera has also targeted the government over the BRICS dinner menu. In a social media post, he remarked that the BJP’s habit of imposing its food preferences on other Indians has now extended to international guests. Khera stated that India is a country rich in diversity, boasting a wide variety of foods and traditional dishes. Indian non-vegetarian cuisine is also appreciated by people across the globe. He questioned why the government wishes to conceal this aspect of Indian culture. Mahua Moitra’s Jibe:
Trinamool Congress leader Mahua Moitra has also taken a dig at the BRICS leaders’ dinner menu. She suggested that the BRICS leaders should visit Delhi’s famous ‘Karim’s’. She wrote on social media: if she were to suggest that the BRICS leaders skip this menu and order ‘Bara Kebab’ from the nearby Karim’s instead, would she be labeled a bad MP?
Not the First Time for a Vegetarian Dinner:
However, this is not the first instance of only vegetarian food being served to international leaders. Previously, during the G20 summit held in Delhi, a completely vegetarian menu was featured at both Bharat Mandapam and the President’s banquet. At that time, too, the diversity of Indian cuisine and traditional dishes was showcased before world leaders.
Sambit Patra’s response to the opposition:
BJP MP Sambit Patra has responded to the opposition’s criticism regarding the BRICS dinner menu. Taking a dig at the Congress, he stated that the opposition is troubled by the country’s rapid progress. Patra noted that the ‘I’ in BRICS stands for India, and this ‘I’ represents 1.4 billion Indians. He affirmed that India is a key, powerful partner in BRICS and that the nation takes pride in this fact. The political controversy sparked by the BRICS dinner menu has now given a new dimension to the discourse surrounding ‘India’s culinary diversity’ versus ‘diplomatic presentation.’
