The Trinamool Congress and the BJP have finally found an issue to speak in the same voice — the absence of non-vegetarian meals for passengers travelling on the recently launched Vande Bharat sleeper train connecting Howrah to Kamakhya in Assam.

The Vande Bharat Express was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his recent visit to Malda on January 17.

Trinamool criticised the railways for serving only vegetarian meals to passengers on the train. The party’s social media handle strongly condemned the meal choice, criticising what it described as an attack on Bengalis’ love for fish.

People from both Assam and Bengal have very similar eating habits, and the fondness for fish is one of the similarities.

Trinamool leader Kunal Ghosh on Friday said: “By imposing vegetarian food in this manner, the BJP is forcibly encroaching upon Bengali food habits and Bengal’s culture. Passengers are paying the full fare for their tickets, so why shouldn’t they get the food of their choice? Non-vegetarian food must also be provided. There may be a vegetarian option, and anyone can choose it. This is an attack by the BJP on Bengal’s culture and the dietary traditions of its people.”

On Friday, state BJP chief Samik Bhattacharya surprised many while responding to a question related to the vegetarian food controversy at the Kolkata Book Fair.

“There is no need to oppose everything. This is a logical and reasonable demand. A train that departs from Bengal and assumes Bengalis will not eat fish, this cannot happen. The demand is justified,” said the BJP state president, while speaking to media persons and answering a question about Trinamool’s attack on the food choice in Vande Bharat Express.

Although Bhattacharya’s comment came as a surprise to many, a section of BJP leaders in Bengal believes he did the right thing by not opposing the demand for non-vegetarian food. Earlier, the party had faced multiple issues after BJP leaders made remarks about fish-eating Bengalis.

“Non-vegetarian food, particularly fish, has a deep connection with Bengal. Most BJP leaders and workers in Bengal love fish. So, taking a position against such a demand would not be wise. The railways can easily serve fish to passengers on the Vande Bharat,” said a BJP leader.

A source said the railways may have provided only vegetarian meal options as the train connects religious destinations like Kamakhya in Assam.

“Having vegetarian food before visiting religious places may be a practice in other states. But in Bengal, serving non-vegetarian food is not an issue, as fish and meat are offered to deities like Goddess Kali,” the BJP leader said.

However, a senior official of Eastern Railway said the food menu was decided by the Railway Board and the Northeast Frontier Railway, from where the train originates, and that Eastern Railway had no role in the decision.