Kolkata: Hours after attending his mother's last rites at Gandhinagar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday virtually flagged off Vande Bharat Express, a superfast train connecting Kolkata with the NJP, the gateway of North Bengal.

"Today I was supposed to come among you but I could not come for some personal reasons for which I apologise to you and West Bengal," Modi said with folded hands after waving the green flag to start the Vande Bharat Express, the first for Bengal and the 7th such superfast train for Indian Railways in the country.

Modi was scheduled to visit Kolkata to unveil a series of developmental projects, including Metro Railway and cleaning of Ganga and its preventive measures against pollution, but had to attend online the events in the wake of his mother's demise early on Friday.

Before the flagging-off ceremony, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed condolences to the Prime Minister over the demise of his mother.

“Respected prime minister, today is a sad day...I pray to god, may god give you the strength and bless you so that you can love your mother with your action and your activities,” Banerjee said at the event which had turned sombre due to the death of PM Modi's mother.

“Sir, I convey my gratitude to you because you were supposed to come to West Bengal today. But because of the sad demise of your mother, you could not reach but heartily you have reach to us through your virtual program. Even I will request make the program cut short and please take rest because just you are coming from cremation.”

Following Banerjee's address, PM Modi flagged off Vande Bharat Express and inaugurated the Joka-Taratala stretch of the Purple line of the Kolkata Metro through video conferencing.

During the programme, the Prime Minister also dedicated four railway projects to the nation, including Boinchi - Shaktigarh 3rd Line, developed at a cost of Rs 405 crore; Dankuni - Chandanpur 4th Line

Project, developed at a cost of Rs 565 crore; Nimtita - New Farakka Double Line, developed at a cost of Rs 254 crore; and Ambari Falakata - New Maynaguri - Gumanihat Doubling Project, developed at a cost of more than Rs 1080 crore.

Also, present on the occasion at Howrah was Governor CV Ananda Bose and a number of central ministers, BJP state unit chief Sukanta Mazumder and BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari.

(With UNI inputs)