NCPI to hold separate Martyrs' Day event in Kolkata on July 21
Synopsis
Kolkata will host four separate Martyrs' Day programmes on 21 July — from rival TMC factions, NCPI, and Congress — each claiming the moral legacy of 13 people killed in a 1993 demonstration. The split is the starkest public sign yet of West Bengal's post-election political realignment.
Key Takeaways
The Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI) will hold a separate Martyrs' Day programme in Kolkata on 21 July .
Kolkata will see four simultaneous Martyrs' Day events — from two TMC factions, NCPI , and Indian National Congress .
The commemoration marks the killing of 13 people during a West Bengal Youth Congress rally on 21 July 1993 .
Kolkata Police denied use of the original Victoria House venue; the Calcutta High Court cleared alternative sites for both TMC factions.
Mamata Banerjee's camp will gather near Birla Planetarium ; Ritabrata Banerjee's rebel camp is set for Mayo Road .
TMC MP Mahua Moitra questioned whether NCPI's MPs would even be present in Bengal on the day.
The Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI) has announced a standalone Martyrs' Day programme in Kolkata on 21 July, marking the 32nd anniversary of the killing of 13 people during a West Bengal Youth Congress demonstration in 1993. The decision means the city will host four separate commemorations on the same day — underscoring the deepening political fragmentation in West Bengal.
What NCPI Said
NCPI leader Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar announced the event on Thursday, 16 July, framing it as a moral obligation that transcended party lines. 'Martyrs belong to everyone. Those who died in the freedom struggle are martyrs. And those who gave their lives for the sake of maintaining law and order in West Bengal are also martyrs. Therefore, it is our duty to honour them. The incident happened before my eyes. We will fulfil it as it is our duty to honour all the martyrs of the world,' Dastidar said.
The NCPI comprises Lok Sabha MPs who quit the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) following the party's defeat in the state Assembly elections and subsequently joined the newly formed outfit.
Background: The 1993 Martyrs' Day and Its Legacy
The 21 July commemoration traces its origins to a 1993 demonstration led by the West Bengal Youth Congress, then under the leadership of Mamata Banerjee, during which 13 people were killed. For decades, the TMC held a single, unified annual rally at Victoria House in the Esplanade area of central Kolkata to honour the victims.
That tradition has now fractured. Following the TMC's Assembly election defeat and a subsequent internal split, two rival factions of the party — the 'original but minority' camp led by Mamata Banerjee and the 'rebel but majority' camp led by Leader of the Opposition Ritabrata Banerjee — began competing for ownership of the commemoration.
Four Programmes, Four Venues
Kolkata Police denied permission for either TMC faction to use the original Victoria House venue. Following a Calcutta High Court order granting clearance, both factions secured alternative sites. Ritabrata Banerjee's rebel camp is preparing at Mayo Road, while Mamata Banerjee's faction received permission to hold its meeting near the Birla Planetarium in the Maidan area.
The Indian National Congress (INC) will also hold its own separate event on 21 July, bringing the total number of simultaneous Martyrs' Day programmes in Kolkata to four.
TMC's Dig at NCPI
TMC's Krishnanagar Lok Sabha MP Mahua Moitra was pointed in her criticism. 'What will NCPI do? Will these twenty MPs be in Bengal on that day? I am asking them. Or will they also do it in a new place if they get permission, because the MPs have said they are not with the rebel Trinamool MLAs. NCPI is not part of the Ritabrata camp. Then they will have to take another permission. The people of Bengal are watching a strange circus. Our position is the same. We are where we were,' Moitra said.
Her remarks reflect the broader contest over political legitimacy and the symbolic weight of the 1993 martyrs — a contest that, this year, will play out across four corners of the city simultaneously.
What Happens Next
With multiple events now confirmed for 21 July, the day is set to test the organisational strength and public draw of each faction. Crowd size at each venue will likely be read as a proxy for influence in a post-split West Bengal political landscape.
Point of View
Yet they are not aligning with Ritabrata Banerjee's rebel MLAs either, signalling a three-way fracture rather than a clean two-way split. Crowd numbers on 21 July will be the first real-world audit of each faction's residual support — and the results will shape West Bengal's opposition arithmetic heading into the next election cycle.
NationPress
16 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are there four Martyrs' Day programmes in Kolkata on July 21?
The proliferation follows a split in the All India Trinamool Congress after its Assembly election defeat, with two rival TMC factions, the NCPI (comprising MPs who left TMC), and the Indian National Congress each organising separate events. All four claim a connection to the 13 people killed during a 1993 West Bengal Youth Congress demonstration.
What is the significance of July 21 Martyrs' Day in West Bengal?
July 21 marks the 1993 killing of 13 people during a demonstration by the West Bengal Youth Congress, then led by Mamata Banerjee. It has since been commemorated annually as Martyrs' Day, historically by the Trinamool Congress at Victoria House in Kolkata's Esplanade area.
Why was the original Victoria House venue denied?
Kolkata Police denied permission for either TMC faction to use the original Victoria House venue. The Calcutta High Court subsequently cleared alternative locations — Mayo Road for the Ritabrata Banerjee camp and Birla Planetarium in the Maidan area for the Mamata Banerjee camp.
What is NCPI and how is it connected to TMC?
The Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI) is a party formed by Lok Sabha MPs who quit the All India Trinamool Congress following the party's Assembly election defeat. NCPI leader Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar confirmed the party's separate July 21 event, stating that honouring the martyrs is a collective duty.
What did Mahua Moitra say about the NCPI's Martyrs' Day plans?
TMC MP Mahua Moitra questioned whether NCPI's MPs would even be present in West Bengal on July 21, and noted that since NCPI is not aligned with the Ritabrata Banerjee rebel camp, it would need its own separate permission. She described the situation as 'a strange circus' and said TMC's position remains unchanged.
