A fresh political fight erupted in Trinamool Congress on July 21 as leaders in the breakaway "Nabya Trinamool" camp held a parallel Shahid Smaran Sabha on Mayo Road in Kolkata. There were some prominent leaders who have distanced themselves from West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee.
Among those present were Firhad Hakim, Madan Mitra, Snehasish Chakraborty, Shiuli Saha, Arup Chakraborty and Anubrata Mondal, and others associated with the rival camp.
Firhad Hakim launched a direct attack on Mamata Banerjee in spite of being one of her long-term political friends. He also claimed that the organisers had to struggle to set up the stage for the event.
Hakim paid tribute to the families of those who lost their lives in the political struggle that led to the formation and rise of the Trinamool Congress. He said that martyrs’ sacrifices had played an important role in forging the party and ending the long Left Front rule in Bengal.
Hakim, however, said that the organisers of the Mayo Road programme were not allowed to set up their stage properly. He also claimed that microphone wires had been cut and referred to past cases of police firing during political unrest.
Hakim also launched a sharp political attack on Mamata Banerjee, asking whether the Chief Minister valued the “blood” of those who had sacrificed for the party more than the loyalty of those around her now.
He said his remarks came amid a growing political divide in the Trinamool Congress camp. Hakim also thanked Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari for reopening a file regarding past political violence and said the families of victims should receive justice.
Madan Mitra, Kamarhati MLA, also gave a strong attack on Mamata Banerjee during the rally. Mitra had recently joined the camp led by Rittabrata Banerjee after visiting the state Assembly and has now joined the rival July 21 gathering.
Mitra said Mamata Banerjee became Chief Minister because of the support and hard work of millions of youth Trinamool Congress workers. He said that the party’s grassroots workers were at the heart of her political rise.
In a direct appeal to Banerjee, Mitra told her to return to the Trinamool family and claimed that the party belonged to the Trinamool Congress rather than one individual leader.
Mitra also referred to a one-month timeline, contrasting it with the one-hour deadline set by Abhishek Banerjee. He advocated that Mamata Banerjee leave the current political arrangement and return to the party’s original organisational structure.
The parallel rally has brought a new political dimension to Bengal. The presence of some former or dissident Trinamool leaders and attacks on Mamata Banerjee are indicative of the increasing tensions in the party’s wider political system.
The competing July 21 programmes are expected to deepen the debate on the Trinamool Congress’ legacy, the role of its founding leaders and the future direction of the party ahead of Bengal’s next big political battle.
