What is India-Pakistan mango diplomacy: A look at Rahul Gandhi's fruity fracas

Mango diplomacy -- where the fruit is used to maintain relations, has been around for a long time. Pakistan is no stranger to this tradition.

Rahul Gandhi, Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, on Wednesday found himself in the centre of a row over the Pakistan embassy sending him and some other Lok Sabha MPs mangoes.

Union Minister Giriraj Singh said the Congress leader has 'napak (impure)' ties with Pakistan.

"Some time ago Rahul Gandhi said that he doesn't like mangoes from Uttar Pradesh. Pakistan Embassy has sent mangoes to Rahul Gandhi now. He should tell what other things he likes. Rahul Gandhi batayen kya Modi ko hatane ka koi naya mangne gaye hain Pakistan se. Pakistan se inke napak rishte hain," he said.

He alleged that the Raebareli MP's recent remarks against Narendra Modi were an attempt to get Pakistan's help to remove the Indian PM from power.

Other BJP leaders like Anurag Thakur also jumped onto the bandwagon.

"They are receiving mangoes from the place their heart lies... He doesn't like the mangoes of UP, but he seems excited about the mangoes from Pakistan," he said.

Amit Malviya, meanwhile, chimed in, asking why the Pakistan High Commission would send mango cartons to 'these select 7 Indian MPs.'

He added that some people can be 'identified' by who sends them mangoes.

A look at India-Pakistan mango diplomacy

Despite the fracas over the fruit, Pakistan has in earlier instances also sent mangoes to Congress leaders.

Pakistan publication Dawn reported in 2015 that then-PM Nawaz Sharif had sent mangoes as a gift to promote goodwill to several Indian leaders.

Among them were Congress veteran Sonia Gandhi, former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee, then-President Pranab Mukherjee and PM Modi himself.

The publication noted that mangoes have long been part of the diplomacy between India and Pakistan with Prime Ministers of the neighbouring nation sending the fruit to their Indian counterparts every year.

BBC meanwhile reported that the same year, Manmohan Singh who was PM right before Modi took over, also received mangoes.

The publication, however, said that India does not reciprocate by sending mangoes back, and at the time India's Foreign Ministry spokesperson had not explained why this is so.

Mango diplomacy -- where the fruit is used to maintain relations, has been around in Asia for a long time. Pakistan is no stranger to this, having once gifted the fruit to Mao Ze-Dong of China, and to Indira Gandhi. Bangladesh and India too partake in mango diplomacy with Sheikh Hasina, the former PM, having sent the fruit to Delhi.

Within India, Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee has kept the tradition alive of sending mangoes to the PM.