New Delhi: High-octane drama prevailed at West Bengal's Howrah Station on Friday as a section of the invited crowd there began raising slogans of "Jai Shri Ram".
A visibly annoyed West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee refused to get up on the dais from where the Vande Bharat express to New Jalpaiguri was to be flagged off.
Banerjee seemed upset by the loud sloganeering as "Jai Shri Ram" chants have previously been used by the BJP supporters to challenge the Chief Minister.
Attempts by Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and Governor CV Ananda Bose to pacify her did not bear fruit, as the chief minister chose to sit on a chair along with the audience, news agency PTI reported.
Meanwhile, addressing the event, CM Mamata expressed condolences to Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the demise of his mother Heeraben Modi saying, "Respected PM, today it's a sad day and great loss to you. I pray to god,may god give you strength. I convey my gratitude to you that you were supposed to come to West Bengal but because of demise of your mother you couldn't come but joined virtually."
The Vande Bharat Express connecting Howrah and New Jalpaiguri, the gateway to the northeast was virtually inaugurated by Prime Minister Modi on Friday.