Mamata Banerjee adds Bengal touch to festivities in the Vatican

ROME: West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee brought Calcutta to Rome on Sunday morning, singing and marching down the road to the Vatican ahead of the much-anticipated canonisation ceremony.

The delegation, also comprising state chief secretary Basudeb Banerjee, principal secretary in the CMO Gautam Sanyal, Rajya Sabha Trinamool leader Derek O'Brien, Lok Sabha Trinamool leader Sudip Bandyopadhyay and singer Usha Uthup, sang songs such as "Aguner parashmani chhoao pran e" as Italian security personnel ensured they had the right of way.

Behind the display of local pride on foreign soil was a well-thought-out plan to preempt appropriation of one of Bengal's icons by the BJP government at the centre, Trinamool insiders said. That Banerjee was more than successful was evident a little later when she reached the Vatican and ensconced herself in the middle of a small group wearing her favourite colours, white and blue.

Banerjee has stressed repeatedly that she and her entourage were going to the Vatican "at the invitation of the Missionaries of Charity". On Sunday she sat beside Missionaries of Charity head Sister Nirmala, giving the royal ignore to external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj.

The Bengal CM later met Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal at a lunch hosted by the archbishop of Calcutta at an Indian restaurant. Both CMs were absent from the dinner and reception hosted by the Indian ambassador on Saturday evening.