O nly in India can a political crisis slip into the kitchen and come out dressed in symbolism. This week, Karnataka found itself arguing not over governance or public welfare, but over a bowl of nati koli saaru.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s favourite dish appeared on the breakfast table at Deputy CM DK Shivakumar’s home, and suddenly the conversation shifted from a very real power-sharing tussle to a chicken curry doing diplomatic duty. And because the meeting happened to fall on Hanuman Jayanti, the BJP had something to say about the menu too.

Beneath the humour and the decoding games, the breakfast became a political statement. Who chose the menu, who it was meant to please, and what message it was supposedly sending—everything was up for interpretation. It is almost tragic that real

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