Overview
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi hosted a gala BRICS dinner at Bharat Mandapam on Saturday that featured an entirely vegetarian, regionally curated menu for visiting leaders and delegates.
- The menu listed dishes such as Khandvi Mille‑Feuille, Khumb Galouti, Paneer Lababdar, Gucchi Marmik, millet pulao and desserts including Old Delhi fruit cream with jalebi and Shahtoot Phirni and emphasised millets and sustainability themes.
- Congress figures led by Rahul Gandhi criticised the absence of non‑vegetarian options, with Gandhi posting that “80% of Indians are non‑vegetarian,” and spokesperson Pawan Khera accusing the government of imposing dietary preferences on guests.
- The BJP defended the choice, saying guests enjoyed Indian vegetarian cuisine and accusing the Opposition of politicising hospitality; multiple outlets reported Chinese President Xi Jinping did not attend the dinner but offered no evidence linking absences to the menu.
- The episode turned a diplomatic hospitality showcase into a domestic political flashpoint, building on past New Delhi events that have used vegetarian menus and signalling continued debate over how state hospitality represents India’s culinary diversity.