Iceland's Ex-President Recalls Vegetarian Meal for Kalam Amid BRICS Menu Row

A dispute over the all-vegetarian menu at the BRICS summit dinner has drawn an unexpected intervention from Iceland, where a former president recalled hosting a similar spread for an Indian head of state two decades ago.

Olafur Ragnar Grimsson, who led Iceland from 1996 to 2016, said he had offered an entirely vegetarian menu to then-President APJ Abdul Kalam during the latter's 2005 state visit. Kalam's trip was the first by an Indian president to a Nordic country, Grimsson noted in a post on X.

"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. More than 20 years ago! And in Iceland where it is not easy to be vegetarian!!" he wrote.

His remarks followed criticism of the dinner hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Bharat Mandapam on Saturday for BRICS leaders. The meal highlighted Indian cuisine, with dishes including khandvi, paneer lababdar, gucchi marmik, millet pulao, mushroom galouti and jalebi.

The Congress took aim at the spread a day later. Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi said in posts on social media that 80 per cent of Indians are non-vegetarian, adding that Indian non-vegetarian food is delicious, and sharing a picture of chole bhature.

Congress media and publicity department head Pawan Khera shared a screenshot of the dinner menu and accused the BJP of imposing its dietary preferences on visiting dignitaries. He said India is a diverse, multi-cuisine country home to non-vegetarian delicacies enjoyed worldwide, and asked why the government would conceal that aspect of Indian culture.

Union minister Kiren Rijiju pushed back, saying he could not believe the Congress was making politics over the food served to BRICS leaders. He said the guests relished Indian vegetarian cuisine, which he described as rich in flavour and nutritional variety with diverse regional traditions.