Congress leader sparked a row on 13 September when he said eighty per cent of Indians are non-vegetarian and Indian non-vegetarian food is delicious.
All meals served at Bharat Mandapam are usually vegetarian. The guests had at the hotels where they stayed.
The leader of the opposition in Lok Sabha made the comment a day after an all-vegetarian spread was served at a BRICS Summit gala dinner hosted by at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi.
In a post on social media platforms X, , Gandhi wrote, “For the record: 80% of Indians are non-vegetarian. Indian non-vegetarian food is delicious. As are my sister’s chole bhature.” He also posted a picture of chole bhature on a dining table.
Rahul’s remarks elicted a response from the Bharatiya Janata Party. Union Minister Kiren Rijiju said that all guests “relished Indian vegetarian cuisine which are rich in flavor and nutritional variety with diverse regional traditions.”
“I can’t believe that Congress party is making politics even on the food menu served to the leaders of BRICS nations. Our guests relished Indian vegetarian cuisine which are rich in flavor and nutritional variety with diverse regional traditions, Rijiju said in a post on X.
‘Khandvi mille’, a feuille steamed gram-flour roll, and ‘khumb galouti’, pan-grilled mushroom kebabs with mint pearls, were served as starters for the guests at on Saturday – the first day of two-day hosted by India.
The main course offered ‘paneer lababdar’, ‘gucchi marmik’ – Himalayan morel mushrooms and tender asparagus – and ‘carrot bean poriyal’.
The other items on the menu included ‘thakkali belle saaru’ – light lentil broth, millet pulao, beetroot raita, and assorted Indian breads. For the desserts, ‘Old Delhi with jalebi’ and ‘shahtoot phirni’ wrapped up the menu for the VVIP guests.
The gala dinner was served to the accompaniment of a performance by an ensemble of over 100 artistes drawn largely from India, as well as other member countries of BRICS.
skipped a gala dinner hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday for the leaders of the BRICS nations, other countries participating in the BRICS Summit and international organisations, sources aware of the matter said.
Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi , who left for home after attending the BRICS Summit during the day, was also a notable absentee at the high dinner table.
Russian President , South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and President of Egypt Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, however, attended the dinner.
(With inputs from agencies)
