The Rs 4,965-crore Howrah Maidan-Esplanade section of Calcutta Metro's East-West Corridor, which has the first transportation tunnel "under any mighty river in India", was inaugurated by the PM. The stretch also has the deepest metro station in the country -- the Howrah metro station.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi with West Bengal BJP President Sukanta Majumdar during the 'Nari Shakti Vandan Abhinandan' programme, at Barasat in North 24 Parganas district. Modi said the “storm of Sandeshkhali” will reach every part of Bengal, asserting that 'Nari Shakti' (woman power) will play a pivotal role in decimating the ruling TMC in the state.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi with West Bengal Governor C. V. Ananda Bose and BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari during foundation stone laying and inauguration of multiple connectivity projects. The PM also inaugurated the 1.25-km-long Taratala-Majherhat section of the Joka-Esplanade line. It has been built at a cost of Rs 520 crore, they said.
Modi, while addressing the rally said whatever happened with women in Sandeshkhali “is a matter of shame”. “TMC leaders are committing atrocities against sisters and daughters of poor, Dalit and tribal families at various places," the PM said.
After the inauguration programme, Modi also took a ride on a metro train from Esplanade to Howrah Maidan and interacted with school students during the journey passing through the tunnel, which is a testament to the country's engineering capabilities. He returned to the Esplanade station through the same route, and was accompanied by Leader of the Opposition in the state Suvendu Adhikari during the trip.
Women attend Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Nari Shakti Vandan Abhinandan' programme. Modi met a group of women from Sandeshkhali, where allegations of sexual abuse against TMC leaders have been levelled.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi rides on a metro train during the foundation stone laying and inauguration ceremony of multiple connectivity projects. The under-river section of the tunnel is 520 metres long, and a train will take around 45 seconds to cross it, officials said. The Rs 1,430-crore Kavi Subhash-Hemanta Mukhopadhyay section of the New Garia-Airport line was also inaugurated from the function at the Esplanade metro station.
The PM highlighted the historical significance of Bengal as a beacon of women's empowerment, lamenting that under the TMC rule, the state has witnessed “grave atrocities” against women. Alleging that the TMC was shielding criminals, Modi said that despite legal intervention, the state authorities resisted the arrest of those responsible for the Sandeshkhali incidents.
Railways staff and commuters after the inauguration of the Howrah Maidan-Esplanade section of Kolkata Metro's East-West Corridor. From the function at the Esplanade metro station, the PM also inaugurated the Kavi Subhash-Hemanta Mukhopadhyay section of the New Garia-Aiport line and the Taratala-Majerhat section of the Joka-Esplanade line of the Kolkata Metro, the country's oldest metro network.
Passengers travel via a metro after the inauguration of the Howrah Maidan-Esplanade section of Calcutta Metro's East-West Corridor. The East-West metro corridor, the construction for which commenced on April 14, 2009, has suffered several delays owing to various issues, including accidents at Bowbazar in central Kolkata.