West Bengal Congress Demands 1993 Martyr’s Day Firing Reinvestigation
Times of India | 22 July 2026
Kolkata: While Pradesh Congress demanded reinvestigation into the role of former Trinamool Rajya Sabha MP Manish Gupta, the then home secretary of West Bengal when police opened fire on Congress workers at the martyr’s day rally, it also used photographs of Mamata Banerjee on July 21, 1993. Congress claimed that while Banerjee was one of the pivotal forces on that day, sanctity of martyr’s day waned after Trinamool used the day as a “political ladder”.
The Congress’s July 21 rally at the Sahid Minar ground — among its biggest July 21 rallies in the past decade and a half — drew all senior Congress functionaries on the same stage. Led by Pradesh Congress president Subhankar Sarkar, ex-MPs Adhir Chowhdury, Deepa Dasmunshi and Pradip Bhattacharya also spoke at the rally.
The party, which witnessed a good turnout at the rally, claimed that people have now got disillusioned with Trinamool, which is now fragmented and observing martyr’s day at two different locations.
Pradesh Congress, which earlier said the party recognises the fight Banerjee put up on July 21, 1993, and led the Writers’ Building march, came out with a promotional video that featured Banerjee among others. On Tuesday, a large photograph of Banerjee on that day was hung at the rally site at Shahid Minar. Another 2003 photograph featuring Banerjee and the then convener of Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led NDA, George Fernandes, at the martyr’s day rally was also hung alongside. Banerjee left Congress and formed TMC in 1998. Later, Trinamool continued to observe martyr’s day on July 21.
“We don’t want to disown our past. As a student neta in 1993, I saw how Mamata-di led the Youth Congress rally and fought with cops. We do not want to distort history. But it is equally true that she used the martyr’s day as a ladder to rise in her political career,” Pradesh Congress chief Subhankar Sarkar said on Tuesday.
Congress on Tuesday demanded that the events on July 21, 1993, which led police to open fire at agitating students, killing 13 Youth Congress workers, be probed again. “Manish Gupta was the home minister then and the police would not have opened fire without his nod. The same Gupta was sent to Parliament as Trinamool’s Rajya Sabha MP. The martyrs never got justice,” said Amitabha Chakraborty, Congress’ convener for Tuesday’s rally.
Congress on Tuesday gave a call to organise a rally at the Brigade Parade Ground. Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi are likely to be present at the rally, Congress functionaries said. “People in the state have understood that the Congress is the prime opposing force in the country now. They are leaving Trinamool to join Congress and the trend will continue as we move towards civic polls in the state,” Sarkar said.
Pradesh Congress also led a delegation to Governor RN Ravi on Tuesday evening, protesting against the arrest of Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi.