• Source:JND

Following the inauguration of the Kamakhya-Howrah Vande Bharat Sleeper Express, a fresh controversy has emerged. The decision to exclude non-vegetarian options on the newly launched train has sparked a heated debate between West Bengal’s ruling Trinamool Congress and the BJP-led Centre, just as the state gears up for its Assembly elections.

The Trinamool Congress swiftly took the opportunity to highlight the issue. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the party wrote, 'First they policed our votes. Now they’re policing our plates.'

In a sharp rebuttal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent inauguration of the train linking Bengal to Assam, the Trinamool Congress remarked, "Just days ago, @narendramodi was busy boasting about giving Bengal a new Vande Bharat sleeper train. What he conveniently overlooked, however, is that on the Vande Bharat train running from Bengal to Assam, fish and meat have been removed from the menu."

In response to the removal of non-vegetarian food items, Indian Railways defended the decision, stating, "We have decided not to include non-vegetarian items because the train connects two highly auspicious locations-Maa Kamakhya Temple and Maa Kali Temple. The menu we have provided includes healthy, hygienic, and pure vegetarian food."

It’s worth noting that the worship of Goddess Kali and other Shakti Peethas, such as the Maa Kamakhya Temple, has long been associated with animal sacrifices, particularly of goats and buffaloes, a practice that has continued for centuries and remains part of some religious traditions.

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The Trinamool Congress, in its response, also pointed to past incidents, including allegations that Prime Minister Modi had referred to fish-eating Bengalis as "Mughals," along with other controversial statements.

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The Trinamool Congress claimed that the BJP's actions were part of a wider campaign to target personal freedoms, "Today, it’s what we eat. Tomorrow it’ll be what we wear, who we love, and how we live," they warned.


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