Mamata Banerjee Calls for INDIA Alliance Unity Amid TMC Split

Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee called for opposition parties in West Bengal to unite under the INDIA alliance banner during the annual July 21 Martyrs' Day rally in Kolkata. During her address, Banerjee condemned the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as authoritarian, alleging that the government and police conspired to sabotage her event. She claimed BJP-backed goons vandalized her rally stage near the Birla Planetarium and that armed bikers attempted to disrupt the proceedings.

The event took place amidst a severe organizational crisis, with three separate TMC factions holding parallel rallies across the city. A rival faction led by Ritabrata Banerjee held a competing rally on Mayo Road. This dissident group, including legislator Madan Mitra, accused General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee of misappropriating party funds for private chartered flights.

Banerjee used the platform to denounce party rebels, labeling defectors as traitors and thieves who would not be permitted to return to the party. She further expressed support for the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) following violent protests in Delhi, where she alleged police brutality against students and youth. Simultaneously, the West Bengal unit of the Congress reported that BJP workers vandalized buses carrying supporters to a separate rally at Shahid Minar.