Leader of the Opposition in the state Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, had on July 14 given a call to observe ‘Murder of Democracy Day’ on July 21.

However, BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar said the party had not yet decided to hold the event on Sunday.
“We have not decided that the event will take place on July 21. Leader of the Opposition did not announce any programmes on Sunday. He had said that he would ask the party to organise the same. We decided to hold a week-long programme from July 21 to 26 to mark the murder of democracy in Bengal,” Majumdar said.

There was no immediate reaction from Adhikari after Majumdar’s comments on the party programme. Last Sunday, while staging a dharna outside Raj Bhavan to protest against the alleged post-poll violence in West Bengal, Adhikari had said, “We will reach out to the people to save democracy in Bengal. On July 21, we will observe Murder of Democracy Day in Bengal and burn effigies of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim. We will organise a mass movement to protest against the post-poll violence and reign of terror by the TMC.”

The TMC holds its annual Martyrs’ Day rally in Kolkata on July 21. CM Banerjee addresses a public meeting in Kolkata to commemorate the 13 people who were killed during a demonstration by the West Bengal Youth Congress – then led by Banerjee – on July 21, 1993.

Sources said the latest development, further, widens the crack in the Bengal BJP following its Lok Sabha polls setback in the state. The difference of opinions over holding a party programme between two top Bengal BJP leaders comes days after the disagreement between the two over doing away with the ‘Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas’ motto and the winding up of the Minority Morcha cell.