Calcutta High Court Permits Mamata Banerjee Faction's Martyrs' Day Rally

The Calcutta High Court ordered the Kolkata police to allow the Kalighat faction of the Trinamool Congress, led by Mamata Banerjee, to hold its annual Shahid Diwas (Martyrs' Day) rally on July 21. Justice Saugata Bhattacharya issued the ruling after the faction challenged prohibitory orders that banned gatherings of four or more people near the Esplanade Crossing for 60 days. The court capped participation at 3,000 people and scheduled the event between 12 PM and 3:30 PM near the Birla Planetarium on Cathedral Road.

To ensure public order, the court mandated that one lane of the road remain open for traffic and that police provide adequate security. This ruling comes as two other political meetings, including one by a rebel TMC faction led by Ritabrata Banerjee, are scheduled in the same vicinity on the same day. The BJP-led state government opposed the venue due to its proximity to hospitals and schools, but the court upheld the permission.

While the Mamata Banerjee faction sought court intervention, the rival majority faction led by Ritabrata Banerjee had already secured permission for a separate rally near the Mahatma Gandhi Statue on Mayo Road. Internal party tensions persist, as leader Arup Roy noted that a formal decision on whether to invite Mamata Banerjee to the rebel faction's event has not yet been discussed.