July 16, 2026 05:04 am (IST)
Follow us:
facebook-white sharing button
twitter-white sharing button
instagram-white sharing button
youtube-white sharing button
'He could die in two days': Delhi HC plea seeks force-feeding of Sonam Wangchuk as fast enters Day 18 | 'Tonight's defeat is hard to take': Emmanuel Macron reacts after France crash out of World Cup, congratulates Spain | Spain cruise past France to storm into FIFA World Cup 2026 final with clinical 2-0 victory | Taslima Nasrin announces Kolkata return after 20 years to attend literary event at Rabindra Sadan | 'We must not watch one of our greatest minds be sacrificed': Zeenat Aman backs Sonam Wangchuk, urges govt to open dialogue | 'I don't want Phunsukh Wangdu to die': '3 Idiots' star Omi Vaidya's emotional appeal for Sonam Wangchuk | Middle East Crisis: Iran strikes UAE tankers in Strait of Hormuz, Indian crew member killed | Picnic turns into horror: Woman allegedly harassed, family chased for 15 km in Nashik | 'Mannat is a private property': Supreme Court clears renovation of Shah Rukh Khan's Bandra residence | Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari backs move to stop entry to Bankra Mosque inside Kolkata airport operational area
Jai Shree Ram
Image Credit: Screenshot grab from Facebook video/PIB

Vande Bharat inauguration: Mamata refuses to take stage after BJP workers chant 'Jai Shree Ram' slogan

| @indiablooms | Dec 30, 2022, at 05:25 pm

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 Minister's 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 people’s welfare over her fragile ego…"

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.

Support Our Journalism

We cannot do without you.. your contribution supports unbiased journalism

IBNS is not driven by any ism- not wokeism, not racism, not skewed secularism, not hyper right-wing or left liberal ideals, nor by any hardline religious beliefs or hyper nationalism. We want to serve you good old objective news, as they are. We do not judge or preach. We let people decide for themselves. We only try to present factual and well-sourced news.

Support objective journalism for a small contribution.