Mamata Calls for INDIA Bloc Unity as TMC Factions, Congress Hold Parallel July 21 Rallies

KOLKATA, Jul 21: Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday called on the Congress and the CPI(M) to set aside political differences and unite under the INDIA bloc to challenge the BJP in West Bengal, even as an unprecedented split within her own party became evident through multiple Martyrs’ Day programmes held across Kolkata.

The annual July 21 observance, marking the death of 13 Youth Congress workers who were killed in police firing during a 1993 protest led by Banerjee, witnessed separate commemorations for the first time since the TMC assumed power in the state.

While Banerjee addressed the party’s official gathering near Birla Planetarium, a dissident TMC faction led by Ritabrata Banerjee organised a rival event at Mayo Road. The Congress simultaneously held its own programme at Shahid Minar, with all three venues located within a short distance of one another. A separate observance was also organised in New Delhi by a breakaway group of TMC MPs now aligned with the Nationalist Congress Party of India (NCPI).

Addressing party workers, Banerjee urged opposition parties in West Bengal to prioritise defeating the BJP over longstanding rivalries.

“I want everyone to unite under the INDIA bloc in Bengal to fight the BJP. I don’t have any ego. I urge others also to keep aside their differences and fight together,” she said.

Her appeal comes at a time when the TMC is facing one of its most serious organisational crises, with several senior leaders and a majority of its Lok Sabha MPs leaving the party after its recent Assembly election setback.

Despite extending an olive branch to opposition allies, Banerjee firmly ruled out welcoming back dissident leaders.

She challenged the rebels to openly join the BJP instead of targeting the TMC, asserting that the party would continue to grow with the support of younger workers. Claiming to represent the “real Trinamool”, she dismissed the departures as beneficial for the organisation.

Without naming BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, a former TMC heavyweight who switched parties in 2020, Banerjee warned that she could reveal details of his political activities during his years in the Trinamool Congress. She also alleged that central investigative agencies and the police had registered around 14,000 cases against TMC leaders and workers.

Expressing solidarity with the Cockroach Janata Party’s ongoing protest in Delhi, Banerjee said she was prepared to join the agitation if required.

Meanwhile, at the dissident gathering, Ritabrata Banerjee criticised the TMC leadership over the handling of the Justice Chatterjee Commission report, which investigated the 1993 police firing incident.

He alleged that although the commission completed its inquiry after recording testimonies from several individuals, its findings were never implemented. Referring to recommendations for compensation to the victims’ families, Ritabrata claimed the assistance actually provided was far below what had been proposed.

He reiterated the rebel faction’s claim over the Trinamool Congress identity, saying they had presented evidence before the Election Commission to establish themselves as the legitimate organisation.

Ritabrata also announced that his faction would provide a monthly financial assistance of ₹10,000 to the families of those killed in the 1993 incident if it secured control of the party’s name, election symbol and assets.

Criticising previous commemorations organised under the TMC government, he alleged that families of the martyrs were sidelined while celebrities received greater prominence during the events.

Several prominent leaders who recently joined the dissident camp, including Firhad Hakim, Anubrata Mondal and Madan Mitra, attended the rebel programme.

Hakim questioned the party leadership’s emphasis on family over loyal workers, while Madan Mitra urged Mamata Banerjee to reconnect with grassroots supporters rather than relying on her nephew, Abhishek Banerjee. He accused the leadership of ignoring the concerns of senior party workers and called on Abhishek to acknowledge mistakes made within the organisation.

Using a reference from the Mahabharata, Mitra alleged that Mamata Banerjee had overlooked what he described as her nephew’s failures and challenged her to address party workers directly.

Separately, the Congress organised its own Martyrs’ Day programme, asserting its historical association with the 1993 movement that predated the formation of the TMC.

State Congress president Subhankar Sarkar announced plans for a major rally at Kolkata’s Brigade Parade Ground early next year, to be addressed by Rahul Gandhi.

Senior Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury described the gathering as an indication of the party’s resurgence in West Bengal, expressing confidence that the political landscape would witness significant changes before the next Lok Sabha elections.