India's first Vande Bharat sleeper train.
Credit: PTI File Photo
Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off the first Vande Bharat sleeper train between Howrah and Guwahati amid much fanfare on Sunday (January 18).
However, the train and more specifically its menu has now become a point of contention between the ruling TMC and the BJP as the state is set to witness one of the fiercest political battles in the upcoming assembly elections.
The Trinamool Congress has alleged that "Bengalis are being pushed into submission" as non-vegetarian food has been taken off the menu of the train.
In a post on its official X handle, TMC wrote, "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 been taken off the menu."
TMC shared screenshot of the IRCTC website showing only veg option for food preference onboard Howrah-Kamakhya Vande Bharat sleeper train.
"A train connecting two regions where people cherish non-vegetarian food now offers only vegetarian options," the post read.
"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," it added.
The train which started its operations from Thursday, unveiled the menu a few days ago. Mayfair Spring Valley Resort on Saturday said it has partnered with the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) as the official caterer for the train.
The menu includes items such as basanti pulao, cholar and moong dal, chanar and dhokar preparations, Assamese joha rice, mati mohor and masoor dali, seasonal vegetable bhajis, and regional sweets like sandesh, coconut burfi and rasgulla.
The resort informed that the onboard menu has been designed to suit overnight travel, focusing on vegetarian meals with mild spice profiles, seasonal produce and traditional cooking methods while retaining regional flavours.