Veg-only menu on Vande Bharat sleeper train sparks TMC-BJP political row, passenger complaints

The new Vande Bharat sleeper train

• Political row erupts over vegetarian-only menu on Vande Bharat Sleeper Express
• TMC and BJP trade accusations over food choices and regional culture
• Passengers criticize food quality, quantity, and lack of non-veg options

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The launch of India’s first Vande Bharat Sleeper Express on the Howrah–Kamakhya route has triggered a political dispute over the absence of non-vegetarian dishes on its catering menu.

The issue has drawn sharp reactions from the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), with both sides accusing each other of politicising a routine railway matter.

TMC leaders alleged that the menu reflects an attempt to impose vegetarianism and undermines West Bengal’s food culture. Party spokesperson Kunal Ghosh argued that passengers should not be restricted in their dietary preferences.

“A Bengali thrives on fish and rice. Both vegetarian and non-vegetarian options should be available, and passengers must be free to choose,” he said, adding that the current arrangement ignores the habits of many travellers from the region.

Some passengers also pointed out that the “no-food” option, available on other Vande Bharat services, was not offered on this route, leaving them with no alternative to the preset catering package.

The BJP dismissed the accusations and said the matter has nothing to do with party ideology. West Bengal BJP president Samik Bhattacharya responded, “If passengers want non-vegetarian food, they should take it up with Indian Railways. How does the BJP come into this?”

The party further countered TMC’s claims by recalling that the West Bengal government had earlier removed non-vegetarian items from the state’s mid-day meal scheme, accusing the ruling party of inconsistency. Indian Railways has not yet issued a detailed statement addressing the controversy.

Online backlash over food quality and quantity

Beyond the political sparring, the sleeper service is also facing criticism from passengers over the quality and quantity of meals served.

Several posts on X (formerly Twitter) compared food served during the inaugural journey with what travellers received on regular commercial runs.

One user shared two photographs, highlighting the contrast. “Dinner of India’s 1st Sleeper Vande Bharat,” the person wrote, showing what appeared to be a more elaborate spread during the inaugural trip, followed by an image of simpler fare from a later journey.

Another traveller who rode in the 3AC coach from Kamakhya to Howrah described a disappointing experience. “The food was horrible…there was no dal (They said all the dal was spilled once the train started moving). The rice was overcooked, and there was no paneer. The sabjis were undercooked and had no masala. The Roti was hard, only the dahi and the red sweet were good. Moreover, the quantity was not enough at all,” the passenger wrote.

An account summarising multiple complaints said, “Passengers report poor food quality, insufficient quantity, no dal/paneer, hard rotis, and overcooked rice. Staff confusion, food not served to some, bedsheets running out, and chaos onboard. Premium branding means nothing without basic service delivery.”

Others claimed that only dinner was served, while tea and other refreshments were missing. One post alleged, “Many passengers are complaining about extremely low quality food served by Base kitchen of IRCTC, GHY in 27576 KYQ HWH on first commercial run.”

According to NDTV, the catering menu was curated by Mayfair Spring Valley Resort in Guwahati in collaboration with IRCTC, focusing on regional identity, seasonal ingredients, and vegetarian offerings such as basanti pulao, cholar dal, joha rice, mati mohor, and traditional sweets like sandesh, narikol burfi, and rasgulla.