Kolkata/IBNS: In a deja vu of what had happened at Victoria Memorial in 2021, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday refused to take the dais after the Jai Shree Ram slogan was raised by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers upon her arrival at the Howrah Station here during the Vande Bharat Express inauguration.
After the scene broke out, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, BJP MP Dr. Subhas Sarkar tried to calm the workers and stop the chants.
But when the appeals made by the minister and Sarkar went in vain, Mamata refused to take the stage.
Though the Railway Minister folded hands and requested her to take the stage, the Chief Minister was defiant, stood beside the dais and later addressed Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Condemning the Chief Ministers action, BJP IT Cell head Amit Malviya tweeted, On the day, PM Modi, despite a personal tragedy, flagged off the Vande Bharat and launched projects worth 7,800 crore in WB, Mamata Banerjee chose not to share the stage with 4 central ministers and LoP.
It is time WB CM starts prioritising peoples welfare over her fragile ego
On the day, PM Modi, despite a personal tragedy, flagged off the Vande Bharat and launched projects worth 7,800 crore in WB, Mamata Banerjee chose not to share the stage with 4 central ministers and LoP. It is time WB CM starts prioritising peoples welfare over her fragile ego pic.twitter.com/rcscCXWr08
Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) December 30, 2022
Modi, who lost his mother Heeraben Modi last night, joined the programme virtually to inaugurate Vande Bharat Express.
The Prime Minister, who was earlier scheduled to visit Kolkata, will be virtually present at a number of programmes in Kolkata.
