While a controversy has erupted over the that was served on Saturday during the BRICS gala dinner, a former Iceland president has recalled a similar meal that former India President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam had during his state visit to the Nordic country.
Olafur Ragnar Grimsson was Iceland’s president from 1996 to 2016. Grimsson in a post on microblogging platform X (formerly Twitter) said he hosted Kalam in 2005 and served him all vegetarian food.
"When I hosted the President of India for state dinner on the first such visit to a Nordic country, I also served an all-vegetarian menu. More than 20 years ago! And in Iceland where it is not easy to be a vegetarian!! he said.
His post comes in the wake of controversy surrounding the all-vegetarian meal served at the dinner hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for state leaders and representatives during the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi. A senior Congress MP, without taking anybody's name, took a subtle jibe at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and said that 80 per cent of Indians are non-vegetarians.
Just for the record, 80% Indians are non-vegetarian. Indian non-vegetarian food is tasty. “My sister’s chole bhature are also like that,” Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Lok Sabha and the Rae Bareli MP, said on X.
However, Union Parliamentary Affairs and Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju shot back at the former Congress president and said his party should not do politics on the gala dinner and food served on this occasion.
"I can't believe that congress party is doing politics even on food menu served to leaders of BRICS countries. “Our guests enjoyed Indian vegetarian cuisine, which is rich in flavor and nutritional variety with different regional traditions,” he said on X without naming Gandhi.
At the gala dinner on Saturday, 'Khandvi mille', 'khumb galouti', 'paneer lababdar', 'gucchi marmik', 'carrot bean poriyal', 'thakkali belle saaru', 'Old Delhi fruit cream with jalebi' and'shahtoot phirni' were served. The dinner was attended by heads of state and representatives of BRICS members and partner countries.
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