The BRICS Summit 2026, hosted by India in New Delhi, has drawn attention for many reasons- including its controversial menu. A revelation of the dishes served to global dignitaries and world leaders at the summit has become a sharp point of contention and debate in the country due to the decision to serve only vegetarian dishes.
More than 20 years ago! Avoiding any name-dropping, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi took an indirect jab at the BRICS Summit menu by sharing a photo of home-cooked chole bhature with the caption, “For the record: 80% of Indians are non-vegetarian. The issue has now drawn a response from Iceland’s former President, Olafur Ragnar Grimmson, as well who took to social media to share an anecdote regarding his experience with an Indian leader and all-vegetarian menu. “When I hosted the President of #India for State Dinner on the first such visit to a #Nordic country, I also offered an all-vegetarian menu. And in #Iceland where it is not easy to be vegetarian!!” he wrote on his social media handle. Opposition leaders in India have targeted the Centre for their selection of an all-vegetarian diet. Indian non-vegetarian food is delicious. As are my sister’s chole bhature. Congress leader Pawan Khera replied to Gandhi’s post by launching a sharp attack on BJP. “The BJP’s habit of imposing its dietary preferences on fellow Indians is already deeply problematic. Now, they have taken it a step further by imposing their own choices on dignitaries from across the world,” he wrote, along with an image of the BRICS Summit menu. Notably, Chinese President Xi Jinping remained absent at the BRICS gala dinner hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi with a PTI source suggesting that he had retired back to his hotel to rest. Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed too was absent at the dinner since he departed back home as soon as the summit concluded.
In response to a social media post explaining the “carefully curated ingredients” of the BRICS menu, Grimmson revealed that during his time as the Nordic country’s president, he too hosted then Indian president APJ Abdul Kalam and served him an all-vegetarian menu, something that’s tough to do in a meat-eating country like Iceland.
