Mamata Banerjee did not share the dais with Narendra Modi at the Calcutta Port Trust programme that became the second stage for the Prime Minister’s political performance on Sunday.

The chief minister’s name was printed on the invitation card and the five plaques on the various port-related infrastructure projects the Prime Minister formally launched from Netaji Indoor Stadium. Modi renamed the Calcutta port after Syama Prasad Mookerjee.

No official reason was ascribed to Mamata skipping the event. On Saturday, the chief minister had met the Prime Minister, drawing flak from some students. Mamata had told the students: “I went to just one programme although I had been invited to four programmes. I went only to one, to discharge my constitutional obligations.”

A port official said the organisers had expected Mamata to come but did not say whether any official communication on her absence had been received.

Union shipping minister Mansukh L. Mandaviya had on Friday met the chief minister at Nabanna and invited her to the programme. Port sources said Mamata had been non-committal.

On Sunday, Trinamul sources failed to shed much light on the matter other than stating what appeared a guess based on Saturday evening’s events when students had chanted “Go back, Mamata”.

“All those who had asked her uncomfortable questions had assembled to protest Modi’s visit, but they turned against her because she had met the PM. She probably realised that sharing the dais again with Modi would be insensitive, given the mood in the state, and stayed away,” a Trinamul source said.

The Calcutta Port Trust event, attended by port pensioners, central government employees and members of the saffron brigade, took on a political hue. The Prime Minister attacked the state government and a section of the crowd broke into “Jai Shri Ram” chants.

Modi spoke on “cut money” and the “syndicate” culture (euphemisms for a thinly veiled extortion racket and its spoils). He also referred to the state government’s decision to not take part in central schemes like the Ayushman Bharat Yojana and the Kisan Samman Nidhi.

After leaving Calcutta, Modi referred to the two schemes on Twitter with the hope that Bengal’s policymakers would change their mind.

Trinamul, led by Mamata’s nephew and Diamond Harbour MP Abhishek Banerjee, issued a sharp response.

“Bengal has no differences with PM Modi renaming the Kolkata Port after one of the stalwart legends of Bengal as part of his government’s renaming spree. Sadly, the name change brings very little relief or benefit to the lives of common people,” Abhishek tweeted.

Had Modi announced any port development plan or waterway initiative, that would have been “the perfect gift to the youth of Bengal on Swami Vivekananda’s birthday which we celebrate as National Youth Day”, the MP added.

Trinamul secretary-general Partha Chatterjee accused Modi of playing politics during the Port Trust programme. “This is not expected from the Prime Minister of the country,” he said.

Mamata did not make any public statement on Sunday. Trinamul said she would start a fresh offensive against Modi and intensify the movement against the NRC and the CAA.