Akhilesh Yadav to be present, leaders from Sena UBT likely to attend TMC’s ‘Martyrs’ Day’ mega rally in Kolkata tomorrow
Mamata Banerjee said, “We informed the railway more than one month ago. I was the railway minister; I know how the railway works. They should have increased the frequency of trains to disperse the crowd smoothly but they didn’t.”
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Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav will attend the Trinamool Congress’s (TMC) Martyrs’ Day rally scheduled to be held in Kolkata’s Esplanade on Sunday. (File)Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav will attend the Trinamool Congress’s (TMC) Martyrs’ Day rally scheduled to be held in Kolkata’s Esplanade on Sunday.
TMC sources said the former UP CM may meet Mamata Banerjee at her Kalighat residence before going to the rally. Some leaders from the Uddhav Thackeray camp may also join the rally, they added.
According to the sources, Mamata Banerjee personally invited INDIA bloc partners to join the rally. RJD leader Tejaswi Yadav was also invited but he will not be able to join as he is currently abroad.
“After the rally, Mamata Banerjee, Abhishek Banerjee, and Akhilesh Yadav may discuss the Opposition strategy in the upcoming budget session of the Parliament,” said a senior TMC leader.
According to the senior TMC leader, “The TMC may start the campaign for the 2026 Bengal Assembly elections from Sunday’s rally. In such a situation, the strong presence of the INDIA bloc will be a good advertisement for the party.”
Meanwhile, TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee visited the rally site at around 6 pm. After inspecting the preparations, she said, “We invited Akhilesh. If the weather is ok, Akhilesh will come.”
She then accused the rail ministry of decreasing the frequency of trains on July 21.
Mamata Banerjee said, “We informed the railway more than one month ago. I was the railway minister; I know how the railway works. They should have increased the frequency of trains to disperse the crowd smoothly but they didn’t.”
Earlier in the day, Mamata Banerjee wrote on her X handle, “Tomorrow comes another 21st July! 21st July is a blood-soaked day in the history of Bengal. 13 lives were brutally taken away by the repressive regime of CPI(M) on this day in 1993. I lost 13 of my co-fighters on this day in my battle against repression. 21st July is therefore an emotive milestone for us. 21st July is an integral part of Bengal’s public culture today.”
On July 21, 1993, a rally of the Youth Congress, then led by Mamata Banerjee, was fired upon by the police, leading to the deaths of 13 people. Since then, a rally has been held every year on that date in memory of the deceased Youth Congress workers.
Political observers said the Martyrs’ Day or the Shaheed Diwas has become the most crucial annual event for the TMC following its formation in 1998, as it allowed the party to lay claim to a legacy of anti-CPI(M) politics and create a narrative of being the most crucial political force standing up to the Left in West Bengal.
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