Irked by sloganeering, Mamata Banerjee refuses to sit on dais at railway event

PM Modi’s virtual address put an end to the commotion, and a calm CM addressed the event while being seated

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday faced sloganeering from the supporters of the Bharatiya Janata Party during the flagging off the Vande Bharat Express at Howrah Station. A visibly angry Chief Minister refused to get on to the dais. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and Governor C. V. Ananda Bose tried to pacify Ms. Banerjee and urged her to take the seat on the stage but she did not oblige.

The incident occurred at about 11.30 a.m. when Ms. Banerjee arrived at the Howrah station. A group of people standing on the other platform raised the slogan, ‘Jai Shri Ram’ at the sight of the Chief Minister. A section of BJP leaders including the Railway Minister tried to calm them down but the drama continued for some more time.

Ms. Banerjee finally took her seat in the audience and sat through the event. It was only after the Prime Minister started virtually addressing the event that the commotion subsided, and the Chief Minister regained her composure. The Chief Minister also addressed the event while remaining seated in the audience.

Later in the day the Railway Minister downplayed the incident and said, “Nothing occurred to cause any angst. Workers often mouth slogans.” Mr. Vaishnaw also added that the Chief Minister was invited to the event, with respect.

The incident had sparked a political war of words between the Trinamool Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party. Trinamool Congress leader and State’s Minister Firhad Hakim said that if the Trinamool wanted, it could have strangled them (those who were chanting Jai Shri Ram). Mr. Hakim said that those raising slogans were even disrespecting “Ram” by taking his name to tease someone else. Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari said that the Chief Minister did not want to share the stage with him since he had defeated her in the Nandigram Assembly polls in 2021.

This is not the first time the Chief Minister has faced slogans at a government event. In January 2021 the Chief Minister had faced a similar situation at an event at the city’s Victoria Memorial, in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The people in the gathering had raised the slogan,`Jai Shri Ram’ back then. The Chief Minister had lashed out at the BJP for the sloganeering and said that those raising slogans were disrespecting Netaji.