India’s decision to serve an exclusively vegetarian menu at the recent BRICS summit in Delhi has sparked debate over the representation of the country’s diverse culinary heritage and the political implications of its food choices. The all-vegetarian banquet, which included dishes such as pan-grilled mushroom kebabs and beetroot raita accompanied by various preparations of millet, drew criticism from opposition figures who argued that the menu failed to capture the full spectrum of Indian cuisine.
Opposition leaders, including Congress MP Pawan Khera, contended that India’s rich culinary tradition encompasses an extensive range of non-vegetarian specialties enjoyed domestically and internationally, and questioned why the government chose to omit them. “India is a rich, diverse, multi-cuisine country, home to some of the finest non-vegetarian delicacies that people across the world relish and enjoy,” Khera said. He further criticized the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi for imposing its dietary preferences not only on the Indian population but also on visiting dignitaries.
Similarly, Waris Pathan, a prominent Muslim politician from Mumbai, expressed disappointment over the missed opportunity to showcase iconic meat-based dishes such as mutton masala fry, Hyderabadi biryani, tandoori chicken, butter chicken, and Goan fish curry, which are renowned across India and beyond.
The BJP government’s emphasis on vegetarianism aligns with Modi’s personal lifestyle as a vegetarian and teetotaler, as well as his promotion of millet, a grain he publicly extolled in a 2023 pop song. Since the 2023 G20 summit, when a fully vegetarian menu was first served to global leaders in Delhi, official diplomatic events in India have consistently featured vegetarian fare. Critics have linked this trend to an increasing Hindu majoritarian influence in Modi’s administration, noting efforts such as the systematic reduction of beef consumption across various states, including West Bengal, where beef is traditionally consumed by Muslim and Christian communities.
Despite vegetarianism’s prominence in some regions and castes—most notably upper-caste Hindus who form the BJP’s core electorate—only about 20 percent of Indians nationwide follow a vegetarian diet. In contrast, states such as Kerala, with a Hindu majority of 55 percent but only around 1 percent vegetarian population, maintain a strong seafood tradition, highlighting the country’s culinary diversity. Local chefs, such as Arun in Trivandrum, voiced frustration over the absence of popular regional non-vegetarian dishes at the summit’s gala.
The reaction of world leaders to the menu is not publicly known, though a viral image humorously suggested that President Vladimir Putin and absent Chinese President Xi Jinping might have sought non-vegetarian fare elsewhere in Delhi’s historic Mughal district.
India’s food selection at the summit has thus become a focal point not only for gastronomic discussion but also for broader debates about cultural representation and identity politics under the Modi government.