Netizens are in a state of shock that the Centre’s Narendra Modi government will be serving food to G20 delegates in silver and gold utensils. Angry social media users have termed the decision a ‘shameful expenditure of public money.’
This was after it emerged that the Modi government has made a lavish arrangement to serve food in gold and silver utensils to the delegates of G20. News agency ANI spoke to the man, the head of IRIS India, who was contracted by the Modi government to make such an arrangement.
IRIS India CEO Rajeev Pabuwal proudly explained, “We started this (preparations) in January 2023…We have made cutlery according to the location…We have incorporated the cutlery according to the state’s culture…Some cutlery is silver coated…We have also made a ‘Maharaja Thali’… Some cutlery is also gold-plated.”
The news evoked angry reactions from users on social media as they highlighted the glaring irony behind this development. Social media handle @DearthOfSid wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, “This is an absurd, exorbitant, and shameful expenditure of public money to project affluence in front of the G20 nations. As if they are oblivious to the poverty in India! Such superficial displays of pride should be discouraged.”
Social media user @Advaidism wrote, “In a country where 80 crore people rely on free rations, and the slums are covered with green sheets, the foreign delegates will be eating in gold-plated utensils. Such a shameful expenditure of public money. The Neros of the 21st Century.”
User @softgrowl wrote, “This is where Modi spends our taxes, trying to impress delegates with expensive gifts and dinners.
While the poor struggle to put food on the table. 80 crore Indians don’t even have a table, and depend on the PDS for rice, as per the Government’s own claim.”
While the Modi government spent crores of taxpayers’ money on making lavish arrangements to make its foreign guests happy, the same government covered a large part of Delhi with green clothes to hide the poverty affecting India’s national capital.
