Earlier in the day around 10 am, West Bengal minister of Labour Malay Ghatak formally opened the 8-km long stretch, where work had been held up for years due to encroachment by farmers and local traders of Panagarh Bazar before they were persuaded to leave and the project resumed and was completed recently.
Ghatak, who was accompanied by ministerial colleague Swapan Debnath and Asansol Mayor Jitendra Tewary, ordered removal of boulders to let vehicles pass.
A livid Supriyo, while formally inaugurating the same stretch at 4 pm, said this showed the TMC's culture of hijacking a central minister's programme.
Supriyo, the Union Minister of State for Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises, sarcastically commented "if a cat nibbles at the birthday cake kept in room before the evening cake cutting ceremony by stealthily entering the room, will that stop the cake cutting celebration of the concerned person by his near ones!"
The December 2 inauguration programme was postponed due to monitoring vehicle movement at toll tax plazas which would have disturbed VVIP movements.
It was then deferred to December 10 and advertisements were given in papers about Supriyo inaugurating this afternoon.