BRICS Summit All-Vegetarian Dinner Sparks Political Debate in India
2 sources · India
Who reported this
- The Indian Express
- Hindustan Times
What the colours mean
- Left
- Centre-left
- Centre
- Centre-right
- Right
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Every source for this story reports from India.
An all-vegetarian dinner served to leaders and delegates at the BRICS Summit in New Delhi has prompted reactions from Indian political figures. The menu, hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Bharat Mandapam, featured dishes such as paneer lababdar, millet pulao, khumb galouti, and khandvi, concluding with desserts like jalebi and shahtoot phirni.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi responded to the all-vegetarian nature of the meal by posting on social media that 80 percent of Indians are non-vegetarian and describing Indian non-vegetarian food as delicious. In contrast, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi emphasized the importance of considering guests' dietary preferences. Chaturvedi shared her own experiences as a vegetarian at international events where she sometimes only had bread and butter if she did not request a vegetarian meal in advance. She noted that while guests understand hosting limitations, offering choices aligns with the Indian sentiment of atithi devo bhava.
During the summit, Prime Minister Modi also addressed the BRICS session on Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability. He warned that the weaponisation of technology and critical minerals could hinder shared progress and stressed the need for inclusivity in technology adoption.
How each side framed it
- Centre
- The center-leaning coverage focused on Rahul Gandhi's challenge to the menu's exclusivity by citing non-vegetarian population statistics.
- Centre-right
- The center-right leaning coverage focused on the importance of hospitality and the necessity of providing dietary options for guests.
Sources
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