Kolkata: A food delivery mix-up on Diwali left a West Bengal man and his family in shock after they received tandoori chicken instead of the vegetarian dish they had ordered, prompting an apology from the restaurant.

Sumit Agrawal, a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) advisor to Fortune 500 companies, shared the incident on LinkedIn, describing the experience as causing “emotional trauma" to him and his family.

Agrawal, who lives in Bidhannagar and follows a strict vegetarian diet, had placed an order via Swiggy from Rang De Basanti Dhaba. Instead of the matar mushroom dish he had requested, he received tandoori chicken.

“To a Marwari family. On Diwali. This isn’t just a delivery mistake. It’s emotional trauma," he wrote.

He described how the incident left his mother visibly shaken. “Imagine opening your meal after a puja, expecting a vegetarian dish — and finding meat instead. The shock. The disbelief. The silence that follows," Agrawal said in his post.

Agrawal, who also lives with cerebral palsy, explained that he chose to speak up to highlight the deeper implications of such errors.

“Food, for many people, is not just about taste — it is tied to faith, purity, and tradition. I understand that mistakes happen, but some can hurt deeply when they cross emotional and cultural boundaries. My intention is not to express anger but to highlight the need for greater cultural sensitivity," he wrote.

He added, “In a diverse country like India, faith and food are deeply personal, and inclusion also means respecting people’s beliefs. I hope no other family goes through a similar experience. What ends up on a plate can hurt far beyond taste — it’s about faith and respect.”

Responding to the post, Zing Restaurants, the parent company of Rang De Basanti Dhaba, issued an apology on LinkedIn.