Two engineers in the Public Works Department have received a notice to explain why Maharashtra's Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar was served lunch without ice-cream for dessert on Monday.

Pawar had stopped at a state-run guest house in Aurangabad for lunch on his way to Jalna, where he was to address workers of his Nationalist Congress Party after its crushing defeat in the Lok Sabha elections.

Lunch ended without incident, but the the trouble began when Pawar asked what was for dessert.

Embarrassed housekeeping staff at the guest house said there was none.

Pawar left without a fuss, but his supporters complained to the District Collector's office and insisted that it shoot off show-cause notices to the two engineers for the "lapse."

MB More, the executive engineer in charge of the guest house explained, "The menu is decided by the liaisoning officer. I was not aware of the menu or if it had dessert. I wasn't even around when lunch was served."
-- NDTV