Bengal Congress Invites Mamata to Martyrs’ Day, Questions Her 1997 Exit
The West Bengal Congress has invited Trinamool Congress chairperson and former chief minister Mamata Banerjee to its July 21 Martyrs’ Day programme at Shahid Minar in Kolkata. However, state Congress president Subhankar Sarkar said Banerjee should acknowledge that leaving the Congress nearly three decades ago was a political mistake.
Subhankar Sarkar Extends Conditional Invitation
The invitation was announced on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, after Sarkar reviewed the party’s preparations for the Congress Shahid Minar July 21 programme.
Speaking to reporters, the Bengal Congress chief said Banerjee was welcome to attend the gathering and pay tribute to those who died during the July 21, 1993, protest. At the same time, he urged her to publicly recognise that her decision to leave the Congress had been politically incorrect.
Sarkar argued that accepting her earlier political association would demonstrate respect for the historical origins of the Martyrs’ Day observance. He also accused the Trinamool leadership of attempting to separate the event from its Youth Congress background.
Congress Highlights Youth Congress History
The Bengal Congress maintains that the July 21 movement began under the Youth Congress banner when Mamata Banerjee was one of its prominent state leaders.
On July 21, 1993, a Youth Congress march led by Banerjee sought to reach the Writers’ Building in Kolkata while demanding that voter identity cards be made compulsory for elections. Thirteen people were reported killed during police firing on the demonstration.
Sarkar said this history could not be erased, irrespective of the political party with which Banerjee is currently associated. According to him, leaders receive greater public respect when they openly recognise their political past rather than attempting to present a different account of it.
Mamata Banerjee’s Departure From Congress
Mamata Banerjee left the Congress in December 1997 and subsequently founded the Trinamool Congress. Since then, the TMC has organised large annual rallies in Kolkata on July 21, transforming the observance into one of the party’s most important political programmes.
Over the years, the gatherings outside Victoria House became a demonstration of the TMC’s organisational strength, with senior leaders, workers, and supporters travelling to Kolkata from across West Bengal.
The Congress continued to observe the anniversary separately, although its programmes were generally smaller than the TMC rallies.
Sarkar said Banerjee’s presence on the Congress stage, accompanied by an acknowledgement of her decision to quit the party, would be viewed as an attempt to correct a past political error. He added that the Congress programme remained open to anyone wishing to honour the July 21 victims.
July 21 Rally Faces New Political Context
The 2026 observance is taking place under significantly changed political circumstances following the TMC’s defeat in the West Bengal Assembly election and the emergence of internal divisions within the party. Recent political defections and disagreements have intensified the pressure on the Trinamool leadership.
A rebel TMC faction led by Ritabrata Banerjee is preparing to hold a separate anniversary programme near the Mahatma Gandhi statue at Esplanade.
Meanwhile, the Mamata Banerjee-led group has approached the Calcutta High Court after Kolkata Police refused permission for the traditional programme outside Victoria House. Police reportedly denied permission to competing groups seeking to organise rallies at the same location, leaving the dispute before the court.
Congress Seeks to Reclaim Political Legacy
By organising its own Martyrs’ Day programme at Shahid Minar, the Congress is attempting to emphasise its connection to the original 1993 movement.
The invitation to Banerjee is therefore both commemorative and political. While the party has offered her a place in the programme, it has also used the occasion to challenge the TMC’s long-standing ownership of the July 21 legacy.
There was no immediate public indication that Banerjee had accepted the invitation or agreed with Sarkar’s demand. Her response, along with the court’s decision on the Victoria House rally, is expected to shape the political focus surrounding this year’s July 21 observances.
