What happened
Trinamool Congress is preparing rival Shaheed Divas programmes ahead of 21 July, turning the annual commemoration into a display of internal political strength. One camp is led by Mamata Banerjee; the other is linked to Ritabrata Banerjee and has gathered several party leaders around its preparations.
The Ritabrata Banerjee camp inspected arrangements at Mayo Road with party leaders, including Arup Roy, who was described as the nominated party chairperson. That camp said the observance would remain solemn and would not include the celebratory song-and-dance style associated with earlier Trinamool Congress events.
Mamata Banerjee’s side plans a rally near the Birla Planetarium in the Maidan area of Kolkata. The city administration denied permission for a political rally at that specific location, and the Calcutta High Court allowed the gathering to be held outside the Birla Planetarium instead.
Another factional voice came from Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, a Trinamool Congress Member of Parliament who has merged with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India along with other Lok Sabha MPs. She said her faction would mark Shaheed Divas at Rajghat in New Delhi.
Background and earlier position
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