Vande Bharat Sleeper food menu row: The Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Thursday slammed the BJP-led central government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the introduction of a vegetarian-only food menu on the newly-launched Vande Bharat Sleeper train. Flagged off on January 17, the Howrah-Kamakhya Vande Bharat Sleeper train commenced its commercial operation from Kamakhya today.
Sharing a post on X (formerly Twitter), the ruling party in West Bengal said the Vande Bharat Sleeper train connecting Bengal and Assam regions where non-vegetarian food is widely consumed, has been offered only vegetarian options.
According to the menu released by the IRCTC, non-veg options including fish and meat are not available for travellers.
The party further alleged that the move reflects a “natural extension of a mindset” in which the Prime Minister derides fish-eating Bengalis as “Mughals” and diktats are issued banning fish in Delhi.
It added that Bengalis are being pushed into submission by Bangla-birodhi “zamindars” who are imposing monolithic, homogenised identities on the community’s plural ethos. “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,” the party posted.
The party said that Bengal will not take lessons on identity from those who neither understand it nor respect it.
First they policed our votes. Now they’re policing our plates.
Just days ago, @narendramodi 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… pic.twitter.com/46z8zRs39O
— All India Trinamool Congress (@AITCofficial) January 22, 2026
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
The assembly elections are set to take place later this year and both the parties are engaged in a fierce contest to win the crucial elections in the state.
Stay updated with the latest – Click here to follow us on Instagram
© IE Online Media Services Pvt Ltd
