A mother points out Sonia Gandhi’s chopper to her son in Behrampore. Picture by Sanjoy Chattopadhyaya

Malda, April 28: A royal spread awaited Sonia Gandhi at the late A.B.A Ghani Khan Chowdhury’s home today, but the “little eater” helped herself to just a nibble.

“I eat very little. You need not have made such a lavish arrangement,” the Congress president told her hosts, Ghani Khan’s brother Abu Hasem Khan Chowdhury and sister Ruby Noor.

Abu Naser Khan Chowdhury, Ghani Khan’s other brother who lives in Switzerland, was also present at the family’s Kotwali house.

Sonia arrived around one in the afternoon, after addressing a rally at Sujapur, some 25km away, and placing flowers on Ghani Khan’s grave near the house.

A printed menu was on the dining table, listing every- thing from fresh coconut water and the main course of fish and meat dishes to sandwiches, salads and desserts.

“Madam, it is a tradition in India to treat distinguished guests with a special fare and we are proud to have such a visitor as you today,” Abu Naser said.

But in the 20 minutes that she spent at the Khan Chowdhury home, Sonia could find time to only have sandwiches and salad.

According to state Congress president Priya Ranjan Das Munshi, who was present at the lunch, Sonia said she had urgent work in Delhi and could not stay longer.

“She had tuna and cheese sandwiches, rice salad (embellished with capsicum, cashew, raisins, pineapple and apple), fruit juice and fresh coconut water,” Ruby Noor said.

The Sujapur MLA had hurried back from the rally to make arrangements for the lunch. Abu Hasem, the Malda MP, accompanied Sonia on a helicopter.

The Khan Chowdhurys told the Congress president about the need for a technical university in Malda and reopening the airport. “She said we should pursue the demands,” Ruby Noor said.

Photographs of Ghani Khan with Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru hanging on the walls drew Sonia’s attention. “She wanted to know when and where they were taken,” Ruby Noor said.