Giriraj Singh Questions BRICS Menu Row With Remark On Gandhi And National Sentiment

Union Minister Giriraj Singh on Monday criticised Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi over his remarks on the vegetarian menu served during the BRICS Summit in India. Speaking to IANS, Singh said that the decision reflected Indian traditions and that serving traditional cuisine to foreign dignitaries should be viewed as a matter of pride. He questioned whether criticism of the menu meant the entire country should share the same concern.

Singh said Indian cuisine represented the country’s traditions and diversity and noted that similar efforts had been made during the G20 Summit. He also referred to the promotion of Shree Anna, or millets, on international platforms. According to Singh, offering Indian vegetarian dishes to visiting BRICS delegates was consistent with the country’s customary practice of serving guests local cuisine.

On the BRICS Summit, Singh said India’s hosting of the gathering reflected the country’s growing influence and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership. He claimed that India’s role and position were receiving attention internationally and said Modi had used the summit to present India’s perspective on major global issues. Singh also highlighted the Prime Minister’s comments on challenges including freedom of navigation and global shipping.

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Turning to the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), Singh accused the Congress of pursuing what he described as vote-bank politics and argued in favour of “one country, one law”. He criticised policies associated with the Congress leadership in the past, including those relating to Kashmir, and said the country should have a common legal framework. Singh said several states had already taken steps towards implementing the UCC.

Singh also defended the Narendra Modi government’s decision to abrogate Article 370, rejecting earlier claims that removing the provision would lead to widespread violence. He said the constitutional changes were carried out without the violence that had been predicted and pointed to national celebrations in Srinagar as an indication of changed circumstances in Jammu and Kashmir.

Reacting to the West Bengal government’s reported decision to shut down 252 madrasas, Singh alleged that unauthorised madrasas had been operating along the Bangladesh border. He claimed that illegal activities had emerged in some areas and praised the state’s opposition leader Suvendu Adhikari for the action. The allegations and political claims made by Singh come amid wider debates over governance, national integration, religious institutions and the implementation of common laws across India.

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