Mamata: ‘Centre can’t prohibit people from eating samosa & jalebi…’

Kolkata: Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday stated that if the Centre was taking an attempt to restrict the people from eating samosa and jalebi, her government will not implement any such diktat if at all issued by the Centre.

Banerjee on social media said that she came across media reports that apparently said that samosas/jalebis cannot be consumed from now on, based on instructions from the Health Ministry. She also made the state’s stand clear that her state government would never interfere in food habits.

The Union Health Ministry has recently directed all central institutions, including AIIMS Nagpur, to install “oil and sugar boards” — posters that highlight the hidden fat and sugar content in commonly consumed Indian snacks. These boards are set to be displayed in cafeterias and public areas, especially in government institutions.

Taking to X, Banerjee said: “Some media have reported that apparently samosas/jalebis cannot be consumed from now on, based on instructions from the Health Ministry.

This is not a notification from the Government of West Bengal. We are not interfering in every matter. We shall not implement this. I think samosas and jalebis are popular in other states also. People in those states also love these food items. Let us not interfere with people’s food habits.” Trinamool Congress spokesperson Kunal Ghosh during a Press conference earlier in the day said that the Bengal government will never accept any ‘diktat’ coming from the Centre on the consumption of these foods.