The vegetarian fare in opposition lunches amid anti-EC stir in Delhi

If the Opposition leaders meet these days, the menu is invariably vegetarian fare.

On Tuesday, when Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi hosted India bloc leaders over tea at his official residence, 5, Sunehri Bagh Road, the snacks were entirely vegetarian.

Paneer Tikka, veg sandwich, samosa, aloo Tikki, and moong daal ki halwa—the popular snacks of Delhi—were served to the guests. To quench their thirst, the Opposition leaders could pick from masala tea, coffee and fresh lime juice.

A senior non-Congress leader said the vegetarian fare was carefully picked as Navaratri has started.

Last week, too, the INDIA leadership treated the Opposition lawmakers with all-vegetarian dishes.

On October 7, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge had thrown a lunch for the Opposition lawmakers, which soon turned into a precursor to a march from Janpath to Jantar Mantar. The INDIA group went to Sagar Ratna, a popular South Indian chain in Delhi. The leaders had dosa and idli on the menu.

On October 8, the INDIA bloc lawmakers met at Moets restaurant in the outer circle of Connaught Place. While the restaurant is an old Delhi favourite with a multi-cuisine menu, the leaders were given an À la carte menu with only vegetarian options.

A senior leader told HT that Rahul Gandhi, a non-vegetarian, was a little surprised, as he had expected chicken dishes.

The next two protests, however, didn’t have any lunch options. The Opposition went from Parliament to meet the President on Friday evening, and on Monday, the INDIA group mobilised one of the biggest political marches in recent times from the Constitution Club to the Supreme Court.

On Tuesday, at Gandhi’s residence, the seating arrangement was also well-planned. Top Opposition leaders, including Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, CPIM chief MA Baby, TMC’s Sagarika Ghose and NCP-SP leader Supriya Sule, shared the high table. Opposition MPs and other lawmakers who attended the meeting were seated in another section.

“We held the discussions on our future road map. After we arrived at the decisions, it was informed to the lawmakers,” said G Devarajan of Forward Bloc.

Meanwhile, after a week of high-octane protests that included five major marches across the city, the Congress leadership might take some time to launch the next round of demonstrations for the ouster of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

The party leadership has informed the INDIA allies that another march or demonstrations are unlikely to take place on Tuesday. But the Congress’ frontal organisations, especially the Indian Youth Congress or the student body NSUI, might carry on their own protests.

On October 6, the Congress-led INDIA bloc began their intensive protests with a march from Parliament to the Election Commission, but they were stopped midway near Akashvani Bhavan—less than 300 meters from the poll body’s headquarters.

The next day, the lawmakers tried to march from Janpath to Jantar Mantar, but the Delhi police stopped them at the busy intersection of Raisina Road and Ashoka Road, and the leaders were detained. The INDIA bloc led a march to the Rajghat last Thursday, followed by a march from Parliament to the Rashtrapati Bhavan to submit a memorandum to President Droupadi Murmu.