West Bengal : West Bengal Congress president Subhankar Sarkar has invited Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee to attend the Congress’s July 21 Martyrs’ Day programme in Kolkata, urging her to acknowledge that leaving the Congress nearly three decades ago was a “mistake”.
The invitation comes amid renewed political contest over the legacy of the July 21, 1993 movement, which is being commemorated by multiple political groups this year.
Congress claims ownership of 1993 movement
Speaking after reviewing preparations for the Congress programme at Shahid Minar, Sarkar said Banerjee should not attempt to rewrite history and should recognise that the July 21 movement was organised under the banner of the Youth Congress.
He said the historical significance of the movement could not be denied and urged the TMC supremo to pay tribute to the martyrs alongside Congress leaders.
“If Mamata Banerjee has the courage, she should admit that leaving the Congress was a wrong political decision and attend our programme,” Sarkar said.
Call for political atonement
Sarkar said Banerjee’s participation would be a symbolic act of political atonement and demonstrate respect for her own political roots.
He maintained that the Congress stage was open to everyone and that acknowledging the past would be viewed as an effort to correct earlier political decisions.
July 21 remains politically significant
On July 21, 1993, 13 people were allegedly killed in police firing during a Youth Congress rally led by Mamata Banerjee. The incident has remained a defining moment in West Bengal politics.
After leaving the Congress in 1997 to establish the Trinamool Congress, Banerjee continued to observe July 21 every year with large public rallies, turning the occasion into one of the party’s biggest political events.
Anniversary sparks fresh political battle
This year’s observance comes amid changing political dynamics in West Bengal. Apart from the Congress programme, a rebel faction of the TMC led by Ritabrata Banerjee has also announced a separate commemoration.
Meanwhile, police have reportedly denied permission to another TMC faction to hold its traditional programme near Victoria House, with the matter now pending before the court.
The anniversary has once again become a political battleground, with the Congress asserting ownership of the 1993 movement while challenging Mamata Banerjee to publicly acknowledge her political past.