Overview
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi hosted a gala dinner at Bharat Mandapam that served an entirely vegetarian multi-course menu to BRICS leaders and delegates.
- The menu, released by organisers, featured regional dishes and millets such as Khandvi Mille‑Feuille, Khumb Galouti, Paneer Lababdar, Millet Pulao and Shahtoot Phirni, and was presented with a cultural programme coordinated by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations.
- The vegetarian choice on Saturday has triggered a political exchange with Rahul Gandhi posting that '80% of Indians are non-vegetarian' and Congress figures accusing the government of imposing dietary preferences on guests.
- BJP ministers including Kiren Rijiju defended the menu as a diplomatic showcase of Indian flavours and accused the opposition of politicising a state hospitality event, while coverage also noted that Chinese President Xi Jinping did not attend the dinner but reporters gave no link between his absence and the menu.
- The episode highlights how food and identity shape Indian politics and could sharpen domestic debate about cultural representation and India’s use of sustainability messaging, including promotion of millets, in international diplomacy.