A political controversy has erupted in West Bengal after the newly elected Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government decided to involve the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) in the distribution of mid-day meals in schools across Kolkata. Opposition parties, led by the Trinamool Congress (TMC), have accused the government of promoting vegetarianism and depriving schoolchildren of a key source of nutrition by removing eggs from the menu.

The issue gained attention after Finance Minister Swapan Dasgupta announced in his Budget speech on Monday that ISKCON would be entrusted with the responsibility of serving mid-day meals in Kolkata schools. ISKCON, a global religious organization known for operating temples, educational institutions, and charitable food programmes, follows and promotes a strictly vegetarian diet. The move has prompted concerns among opposition leaders that the nutritional composition of school meals could change significantly under the new arrangement.

Defending the decision, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari assured that students would continue to receive nutritious meals despite the change in service provider. The BJP government has also highlighted that it has increased the allocation for each meal from ₹6.78 under the previous Trinamool Congress administration to ₹10. According to the government, the higher budget is intended to improve the quality and nutritional value of food served to schoolchildren while expanding the reach of welfare programmes.

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However, the Opposition has strongly criticised the decision, arguing that eggs are an affordable and important source of protein for children, particularly those from economically weaker backgrounds. TMC leader Derek O’Brien accused the BJP government of imposing dietary preferences on students and ignoring local food habits. In a post on social media platform X, O’Brien alleged that the government was depriving children of nutrition while simultaneously attempting to promote a vegetarian agenda. He argued that Bengal's cultural and dietary traditions should be respected and not altered through government policy.

The TMC leader also linked the controversy to debates that emerged during the recent Assembly election campaign, when BJP leaders sought to reassure voters that there would be no restrictions on the consumption or sale of meat, fish, and eggs in the state. Referring to those assurances, O’Brien said the latest decision exposed what he described as the BJP's true intentions. He claimed the move contradicted earlier promises and suggested that the ruling party was now pursuing policies that could affect the dietary choices available in public welfare schemes.

The controversy has once again brought the issue of nutrition and food preferences into the political spotlight in West Bengal. While the BJP government maintains that the revised mid-day meal programme will remain nutritious and adequately funded, opposition parties continue to question the exclusion of eggs and the role of a vegetarian organization in shaping school menus. The debate is expected to continue as the government rolls out the new arrangement and stakeholders assess its impact on children's nutrition and welfare.

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