New Delhi, India
A travel influencer's review of food served on Vande Bharat train has sparked a debate on social media. Shashank Gupta compared the food served to him on the train to that of a 5-star hotel, for which he was trolled by netizens.
Gupta travelled in the Udaipur-Agra Vande Bharat Express and shared a photo of his meal on the social media platform, X. His breakfast meal included poha, cutlet, aloo sabzi, parathas, curd, a packet of namkeen, and choco pie.
He travelled in the special coach reserved for "social media and influencers" arranged by the Indian Railways during the inaugural journey of the train.
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Along with the photo, Gupta wrote in the caption, "Today I traveled in train no -20981 Udaipur Agra Vande Bharat express from Udaipur to Agra and the food in this train was no less than any five star hotel in terms of taste."
Today I traveled in train no -20981 Udaipur Agra Vande Bharat express from Udaipur to Agra and the food in this train was no less than any five star hotel in terms of taste.
Thankyu @RailMinIndia @IRCTCofficial @AshwiniVaishnaw @AshwiniVaishnaw pic.twitter.com/gFOh5QJN4H
— Shashank Gupta (@shashan0058641) September 2, 2024
He also thanked Indian Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, DRM Lucknow, and the Ministry of Railways for the travel.
The post resulted in backlash from social media users, who questioned the authenticity of his review. Some users also suggested that he was paid to post positive feedback about his travel on the newly launched train.
"Bro has never been or seen a 5-star hotel," a user commented.
"Tell me you have never been to a 5-star hotel without telling me that you have never been to a 5-star hotel," another user commented.
"If this is 5-star food then I'm Shahrukh Khan," one person joked.
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In response to the post, which gained criticism from many users, the official handle of IRCTC commented, "Thank you very much for the pleasant remarks. They genuinely motivate us to keep doing our best job. We look forward to servicing you again."
While addressing the criticism, Gupta made a separate post, "The truth behind my Vande Bharat Express Food Review," in which he stated that his remarks were based on his personal experience and not influenced by any external factors.
"While it may not have been 5-star quality, I found it to be a significant improvement compared to typical train food," he wrote.
(With inputs from agencies)