Caterer fined Rs 1 lakh for Shatabdi cups with Modi photos

The Indian Express had on January 31 reported that passengers travelling to Amritsar by Shatabdi had been served tea cups with pictures of the leaders and a message appealing people join the BJP along with a toll free number.

To a question raised by P R Sentilnathan and Anwhar Raajha of AIADMK and Asaduddin Owaisi of MIM, MoS for Railways Manoj Sinha said, “A news item was published in Indian Express on 31-1-2015 regarding few cups served in train number 12013 New Delhi-Amritsar Shatabdi Express train having pictures of some political leader,” Sinha said. “An explanation was called for from the concerned licencee of the said train,” the written reply said.

The advertisement on the tea cups also mentioned that they have been printed on behalf of “Sankalp Foundation” which describes itself on its website (sankalpfoundatio-n.co.in) as a “charitable trust without any object of profit making”.