Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday inaugurated three Metro stretches in Kolkata and later took a ride on the newly launched 6-km Jai Hind Biman Bandar–Noapara route, marking a significant boost to the city’s urban transport network.
अभी मैं नोआपाड़ा से जय हिंद विमानबंदर तक कोलकाता मेट्रो का आनंद लेकर आया हूं। इस दौरान बहुत सारे साथियों से मुझे बातचीत करने का अवसर मिला। हर किसी को खुशी है कि कोलकाता का पब्लिक ट्रांसपोर्ट वाकई अब आधुनिक हो रहा है: माननीय प्रधानमंत्री श्री @narendramodi जी#RailInfra4WestBengal pic.twitter.com/2nKKTRX3zd
— Ministry of Railways (@RailMinIndia) August 22, 2025
After flagging off the service, the Prime Minister boarded the Metro at Jessore Road station. During the journey, he interacted with schoolchildren travelling with him and posed for photographs. Modi then travelled to the Jai Hind Biman Bandar (city airport) station, where he was given a tour of the facilities, before returning to Jessore Road station. The distance between the airport station and Jessore Road station is around 2 km.
कोलकाता में भी मेट्रो का लगातार विस्तार हुआ है। आज भी कोलकाता के मेट्रो रेल नेटवर्क में करीब 14 किलोमीटर नई लाइनें जुड़ रही हैं। कोलकाता मेट्रो से सात नए स्टेशन जुड़ रहे हैंः माननीय प्रधानमंत्री श्री @narendramodi जी#RailInfra4WestBengal pic.twitter.com/NfJFTQ6c1h
— Ministry of Railways (@RailMinIndia) August 22, 2025
The inauguration programme was attended by West Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose, BJP state president Samik Bhattacharya, Union minister Sukanta Majumdar, and Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, who accompanied the Prime Minister during the event.
Modi Defends Bill to Bar Jailed Leaders
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday hit out at the opposition INDIA bloc, including the Trinamool Congress (TMC), accusing them of shielding corruption and resisting reforms aimed at ensuring integrity in public life.
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Addressing a rally in Kolkata, Modi indirectly referred to the Constitution (130th Amendment) Bill, 2025, introduced in Parliament earlier this week. The proposed law seeks to bar prime ministers, chief ministers, and ministers from holding office if they remain in jail for 30 days or more.
Citing the provisions of the Bill, Modi said, “We decided to bring in a law that provides for dismissing a corrupt chief minister, or even the prime minister, if he or she spends 30 days in jail. But when we brought in a stringent law, the TMC, the Congress started protesting. They are angry because they are scared of facing punishment for their own sins.”
In an apparent dig at former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, Modi remarked, “It is a shame that even a chief minister, after going to jail, has been running government from there.”
