Controversy in Kolkata over ISKCON removing eggs from school mid-day meals

• The BJP Government has awarded the contract for providing mid-day meals to ISKCON

• Opposition parties accuse the Government of imposing a vegetarian culture on Bengal

Kolkata (Bengal) – ISKCON, a spiritual organisation, has removed eggs from school mid-day meals, triggering a controversy in Bengal. Opposition parties have alleged that the BJP is trying to impose a vegetarian culture on Bengal. The State’s newly elected BJP Government has awarded ISKCON the contract to prepare mid-day meals for schools under the Kolkata Municipal Corporation. As a result, eggs will no longer be served. Instead, vegetarian alternatives such as paneer, rajma (kidney beans), soyabean and dairy products will be provided.

Controversy in Kolkata as ISKCON removes eggs from school midday meals; opposition claims 'vegetarian culture' is being imposed.

​Why were non-veg items even served in schools?

Children can eat what they want at home. This opposition is clearly deliberate.

​#Kolkata #ISKCON… pic.twitter.com/gBehf1j79W

— Sanatan Prabhat (@SanatanPrabhat) June 27, 2026

Opposition’s claims

Opposition leader Ritabrata Banerjee objected to the removal of eggs, saying that Bengali children have grown up on animal protein for generations and that the nutrition programme should reflect the local food culture. Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP Derek O’Brien also accused the Government of imposing vegetarianism through a welfare scheme.

Government’s stand

On the other hand, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari defended the decision in the Legislative Assembly, stating that the primary objective is to ensure clean and high-quality food for children. No religious belief is being imposed on anyone. School Education Minister Dipak Burman said that nutrition should be determined on scientific criteria, not on whether meals contain eggs.

Vegetarian food is not new to Bengal, says ISKCON

Radharaman Das, Vice President of ISKCON Kolkata, said that the organisation already provides meals to 12 lakh students in various States across the country. He added that the Gaudiya Vaishnav tradition also originated in Bengal, so vegetarian food is not new to the State. He further said that pulses and soyabean also provide the necessary protein.

Editorial Perspective

Why were non-vegetarian food items being served in schools in the first place ? Children can eat non-vegetarian food at home, and no one can stop them from doing so. It is evident that opposition to the decision to remove eggs is being raised deliberately.