After flying as weapons, eggs now land at centre of Bengal’s mid-day meal row
West Bengal’s new BJP regime decided this week to drop eggs from the school mid-day meal menu in Kolkata, at a time when eggs have been making headlines ever since Mamata Banerjee’s TMC rule ended after 15 years last month. Members of the Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC) hold eggs during a protest at the Kolkata Municipal Corporation head office. (Aloke Dey/ANI Photo) Eggs have been thrown at TMC leaders across the state, and the party’s deepening succession battle has become entangled with the two stories around eggs or “non-vegetarian” food in general. During the recent election campaign too, dietary habits became a major political battleground when the then CM Mamata Banerjee warned voters that the BJP would ban fish, meat, and eggs if they came to power, pointing to similar restrictions in other BJP-ruled states. Understanding the deep cultural significance of non-vegetarian food in Bengal, Union home minister Amit Shah dismissed her claims as rumours, explicitly promising that the consumption of fish and eggs would not be stopped. Senior BJP leader Anurag Thakur …
