Rebel Trinamool Congress faction attacks Mamata, Abhishek during parallel Martyr’s Day rally

Rebel Trinamool Congress faction attacks Mamata –

Rebel TMC Faction Attacks Mamata, Abhishek at Martyrs’ Day Rally

Parallel Gatherings Highlight Party Division

Indiadailyupdate.com – A rebel Trinamool Congress faction attacks Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee during a parallel Martyrs’ Day rally on Tuesday, July 21. The dissenting group, led by Ritabrata Banerjee, held their gathering at Mayo Road after police denied permission for their Victoria House venue. Meanwhile, Mamata’s supporters convened at Cathedral Road, roughly one kilometer away, to commemorate the same historic occasion.

The July 21 date marks the 1993 tragedy when thirteen Youth Congress activists died in police firing. Mamata continued this tradition after founding the Trinamool Congress in 1998 while serving as Youth Congress leader.

Rebel Leaders Voice Concerns on Stage

Despite a smaller crowd, the rebel faction remained confident. Their stage included Sandipan Saha, Madan Mitra, Debashish Kumar, Firhad Hakim, and Chandrima Bhattacharya—leaders who had joined the dissenting group.

“We will observe Shahid Diwas the way it is supposed to be observed. It is not a platform for a reality show; it is not a platform to parachute celebrities or do a catwalk in which the political leaders and martyrs’ families are relegated to the backdrop. Sadly, this is how Shahid Diwas has been observed all this while,” said Ritabrata Banerjee.

Commission Report and Financial Issues Raised

The rebel leader criticized the handling of the Sushanta Chatterjee Commission report on the 1993 incident. “Apart from the former chief minister, others gave their testimony,” Ritabrata noted. “Those who gave their testimonies, after which the investigating agencies gave their report, saw it go into cold storage,” she added, calling it deliberate suppression.

The commission recommended ₹25 lakh for martyrs’ families and ₹5 lakh for injured persons. “What happened in reality was that ₹2 lakh was given to the martyrs’ families and ₹15,000 was given to the injured. Why is this playing to the gallery happening?” Ritabrata questioned.

CM Adhikari Comments on 1993 Firing

Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari addressed the incident the previous day, stating bullets were unnecessary to control the crowd at Writers’ Building. He highlighted that the commission report, submitted in December 2024, dismissed fears of an attack and described the event as more severe than the Jallianwala Bagh massacre.

“We have come to pay homage to the martyrs,” added Ritabrata while reading out the names of the martyrs.

Election Commission Petition and Financial Pledges

Ten rebel TMC members petitioned the Election Commission, reporting that Arup Rai was designated as the faction’s chairperson. “We have faith in the Election Commission. We are hopeful that the Trinamool Congress’ name, its symbol and whatever belongs to the Trinamool Congress will remain with the Trinamool Congress under Arup Rai’s leadership,” he stated.

Ritabrata promised that if funds were allocated from TMC accounts, ₹10,000 monthly would be transferred to martyrs’ families from the All India Trinamool Congress account. “This money should be used for them,” she emphasized.

Mitra’s Message to Party Leaders

Rebel MLA Madan Mitra acknowledged Mamata’s contribution to the party’s reputation while criticizing Abhishek. “It is not Abhishek who made you a celebrity; it was thousands of Trinamool Youth Congress leaders who made you a celebrity,” Mitra said. He welcomed Mamata’s potential visit, declaring, “Come walking to us, we will put our uttariya at your feet.”

“Just accept that it is your fault, like Gandhari (in the Mahabharata), that you were blind. No one will throw eggs at you,” said the Kamarhati MLA while questioning whether Mamata had thought about her party. “We are giving you one month’s time. Leave Abhishek’s hand.”