Feb. 13: A train flag-off by Mamata Banerjee was disrupted in Rourkela today amid protests against her for remote-controlling the programme from Bengal and ignoring local leaders and their language.

Railway minister Mamata was scheduled to launch the Rourkela-Bhubaneswar Intercity Express from Bengal via a remote-controlled switch. Invites for the event had allegedly been printed in Bengali, Hindi and English but not Oriya.

“It shows the apathy of the railways towards Oriya language and culture,” a protester said. The crowd snapped the station’s video link with Mamata. BJD leader A.C. Mohanty said the people flagged off the train. His charge that local leaders had been given the short shrift by Mamata is often made by CPM leaders in Bengal.

The railways said since most trains launched today were for Bengal, the minister stayed there. Some cards had been printed in Oriya, an official said.