Sunak’s mother-in-law has divided India with her views on spoons

Sudha Murty, the Indian billionaire and philanthropist, who also happens to be Rishi Sunak’s mother-in-law, has something of a fixation with the cleanliness of spoons. Speaking on a popular food show, Murty revealed herself to be quite the tyrant in the kitchen:

‘I am a pure vegetarian, I don’t even eat eggs or garlic. What I am scared of is that the same spoon will be used for both vegetarian and non-vegetarian food. It weighs on my mind a lot!’

The sensible reaction to these somewhat innocuous comments might be to think Murty a touch obsessional, and wonder at the impractical and time-consuming nature of her kitchen habits. Instead her remarks have provoked a storm of controversy across India, which says less about Murty’s views on food preparation and more about the growing cultural and social divide in the country. 

The nub of the issue is her use of the phrase ‘a pure vegetarian’. On