The All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) has accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP of imposing cultural and dietary choices on eastern India over the decision to serve only vegetarian food on the country’s first Vande Bharat Sleeper Express, which connects West Bengal and Assam.
“First they policed our votes. Now they’re policing our plates,” the party wrote on X.
Referring to the recent launch of the train, the party said: “Just days ago, Narendra Modi was busy boasting about giving Bengal a new Vande Bharat sleeper train. What he didn’t mention however is that on the Vande Bharat train running from Bengal to Assam, fish and meat have been taken off the menu.”
The Trinamool argued that the decision was problematic given the food culture of the two states. “A train connecting two regions where people cherish non-vegetarian food now offers only vegetarian options,” the party said, adding that this reflected a larger ideological pattern.
The post listed: “The Prime Minister derides fish-eating Bengalis as ‘Mughals’; Diktats are issued banning fish in Delhi; A poor street vendor is brutally assaulted for selling chicken patties.”
Warning of broader implications, the party said, “Today it’s what we eat. Tomorrow it’s what we wear. Who we love. How we live. What we’re witnessing is the ‘Banchte Chai, BJP tai’ model, where Bengalis are pushed into submission by Bangla-Birodhi Zamindars imposing monolithic, homogenised identities on our plural ethos.”
“Bengal will not take lessons on identity from those who neither understand nor respect it,” the post concluded.
The controversy has erupted days after West Bengal and Assam received the country’s first Vande Bharat Sleeper Express, which will run six days a week on the Howrah–Kamakhya route. Passengers booking tickets online are being shown only vegetarian food options, with no non-vegetarian alternatives available, according to the Trinamool.
The Vande Bharat trains are among the most popular express services in the country, known for their speed, modern interiors and onboard catering.
Railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw had earlier announced that the sleeper train’s menu was curated with special dishes from West Bengal and Assam, but questions have been raised over the exclusion of non-vegetarian items.
Eastern Railway declined to comment directly on the issue. Its Public Relations Officer, Diptimoy Dutta, told anandabazar.com, “The food aspect is handled by IRCTC. They will be able to say what the menu will be.” An IRCTC official later stated, “In the Vande Bharat Sleeper class, we are emphasising local cuisine. Food that is famous in a particular region will be served,” but did not address queries on why non-vegetarian food was excluded.
Trinamool Congress spokesperson Arup Chakraborty earlier escalated the issue, saying, “The Prime Minister inaugurated this train after coming to Bengal. The BJP wants to run Vande Bharat over Bengalis’ fish-and-rice plates. In response, the people of Bengal will run the ‘Andolan Local’ over the BJP’s outlook in the Assembly elections.”
When asked about the issue, Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar said, “I am not aware of the matter. I will look into it and get back.”
According to the Railways, the Howrah–Kamakhya service will feature dishes such as Basanti pulao, cholar dal or moong dal, jhuri aloo bhaja, chhana or dhokar dalna, labra, sandesh and rasgulla. On the return journey from Assam, the menu will include joha rice, mati mahar dal, masoor dal, seasonal vegetable fritters and coconut barfi, along with tea and coffee on both routes.
The train will depart Howrah at 6:20 pm and reach Kamakhya at 8:20 am the next day, while the return service will leave Kamakhya at 6:15 pm and arrive in Howrah at 8:15 am.
