February 13, 2026 09:18 am (IST)
Follow us:
facebook-white sharing button
twitter-white sharing button
instagram-white sharing button
youtube-white sharing button
BJP MP files notice to cancel Rahul Gandhi's Lok Sabha membership, seeks life-long ban | Arrested in the morning, out by evening: Tycoon’s son walks free in Lamborghini crash case | ‘Why should you denigrate a section of society?’: Supreme Court pulls up ‘Ghooskhor Pandat’ makers | Bangladesh poll manifestos mirror India’s welfare schemes as BNP, Jamaat bet big on women, freebies | Drama ends: Pakistan makes U-turn on India boycott, to play T20 World Cup clash as per schedule | ‘Won’t allow any impediment in SIR’: Supreme Court pulls up Mamata govt over delay in sharing officers’ details | India-US trade deal: ‘Negotiations always two-way’, says Amul MD amid farmers’ concerns | Khamenei breaks 37-year-old ritual for first time amid escalating Iran-US tensions | India must push for energy independence amid global uncertainty: Vedanta chairman Anil Agarwal | Kanpur horror: Lamborghini driven by businessman’s son rams vehicles, injures six
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.