India, March 8 -- Outgoing Himachal Pradesh governor Shiv Pratap Shukla on Sunday termed West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee's absence during President Droupadi Murmu's visit to the state "highly shameful."

Criticising the West Bengal government for the protocol breach, Shukla said the act tarnished the country's constitutional ethos. "The President does not belong to one or two states; the President represents the entire nation. Such a situation should not have arisen," he said. The President had arrived in West Bengal to attend a tribal community event, but the chief minister's absence at the airport sparked a fresh political flashpoint between the Centre and the state.

Call for improved work culture

Before leaving for Telanga...