Gujarati snacks in parliament’s central hall

“Madam, would you like to eat a Gujarati parantha?” a waiter asked a lady journalist in Parliament House’s Central Hall. This was the first day of the winter session, and also the day of Gujarat Assembly votes counting. A regular at the Central Hall, she asked, “What?” The waiter replied, “Thepla, it is a Gujarati fried parantha. There are also many more Gujarati snacks available.”Surprised, she asked “How come? Is it in anticipation of BJP’s victory?” He replied, “I don’t know about polls. We were asked to serve Gujarati snacks, besides other regular items, in this opening week of winter session.” But he then hastened to add that “Gujarati things won’t be available tomorrow.” In a hushed tone, the waiter added that the Railway Ministry had ordered that Gujarati snacks would be served in the Central Hall this week, and food items from different states would be served in the coming weeks. “But the Lok Sabha Secretariat was upset as this arrangement had been made without their consent,” the waiter confided.“They ordered the cancellation of the Gujarati food fare from tomorrow.” The Railway catering is responsible for running Parliament House’s canteens and service in the Central Hall. But within Parliament House premises, nothing moves without Lok Sabha Secretariat’s permission. It is learnt that permission was then obtained, and the Gujarati snacks were back in service.

As food is not allowed to be cooked in pantries adjoining the Central Hall, the Railway catering outsourced items like Phafda, Bhakri, Phepla and Puran Poli from Gujarat Bhawan. The next state in line is said to be Jammu and Kashmir.