"I always find Laluji to be very incisive and I respect his political gyan," Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said in a video released on Saturday, in which he is seen picking the RJD supremo's brain on politics and imbibing culinary skills from him.
Gandhi put out the video from his dinner meeting with Lalu Prasad at the residence of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Misa Bharti last month.
In the more-than-seven-minute-long video, Gandhi is seen learning the recipe for "Champaran mutton" preparation from Prasad, with Bharti also joining them in the cooking session.
Gandhi and Prasad also discussed politics and exchanged views on "hate being spread".
During their conversation, Gandhi asks Prasad what his suggestion to him and other next-generation politicians would be, to which the RJD leader says, "My suggestion is that your parents, grandparents had shown a new path to the country and kept it on the righteous path, you should not forget that." Sharing the video on X, the Congress leader said, "Interesting conversation with popular leader, Laluji, on his secret recipe and 'political spice'." "INDIA's vision for the poor, underprivileged, minorities and women is one -- equality, progress and empowerment," he wrote in his post in Hindi, referring to the opposition Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance alliance.
In the video, Gandhi asks Prasad what according to him is "political masala".
"Political masala is to struggle and fighting injustice," Prasad says.
Asked if he knows how to cook, Gandhi says he is not an expert but can cook.
"When I used to work on Europe, I had to learn cooking," he said.
In the video, Gandhi also asks Prasad about the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) allegedly spreading hatred, to which the RJD leader says the political hunger of the saffron party is never satiated.
"When the economic situation is better, this (spreading of hate) happens less and when it is bad, this happens more. Right now, the economic situation is bad, so this is on the rise," he says.
Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav, who was also present during the dinner, alleges that the BJP "does such propaganda, infuses poison and brainwashes people".
Gandhi also asks Prasad if the BJP's eventual objective is to "steal from the poor".
Prasad responds, saying, "Their aim is to burn down the houses of the poor, destroy their wealth and their homes. They want to have people in their clutches." The leaders also talk about eliminating hatred and "open mohabbat ki dukan".
Gandhi also gets the mutton dish packed for his sister, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.
At the end of the video, Priyanka Gandhi is seen relishing the dish.