Calcutta HC seeks Bengal govt's stand on TMC Martyrs' Day rally venue
Synopsis
Kolkata Police blocked the TMC's traditional Martyrs' Day venue near CESC House and invoked BNSS Section 163, forcing Mamata Banerjee's faction to the Calcutta High Court — even as a rival rebel faction led by expelled legislator Ritabrata Banerjee secured permission for a parallel rally on the same day. The court's afternoon ruling will determine who controls TMC's most symbolic annual event.
Key Takeaways
The Calcutta High Court on 15 July asked the West Bengal government to clarify its stand on the Martyrs' Day rally venue for 21 July .
Kolkata Police denied the Mamata Banerjee -led TMC faction permission to hold the rally at the traditional CESC House site near Esplanade Crossing .
Police invoked Section 163 of the BNSS, 2023 , prohibiting assembly of four or more persons near the venue.
The faction rejected the police-suggested alternative of Brigade Parade Ground and approached Justice Sougata Bhattacharya's bench.
A rebel TMC faction led by expelled legislator Ritabrata Banerjee has already received police permission for a separate rally on Jawaharlal Nehru Road on the same date.
The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday, 15 July directed the West Bengal government to clarify its position on the venue for the Martyrs' Day rally scheduled for 21 July, sought by the Mamata Banerjee-led faction of the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC). A single-judge bench of Justice Sougata Bhattacharya issued the direction after the first round of hearing, asking the state to present its stand when the matter is taken up again in the second half of the day.
Background: Police Denial and the Court Challenge
Kolkata Police had denied the Banerjee-led faction permission to hold the rally at its traditional venue — in front of CESC House near Esplanade Crossing in central Kolkata. As an alternative, police proposed Brigade Parade Ground, also in central Kolkata. The faction rejected that suggestion outright, insisting on the original site, which has historically served as the symbolic address for the party's annual rally.
Following the faction's refusal, Kolkata Police issued an advisory invoking Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023 — the successor to Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 — prohibiting the assembly of four or more persons in the area around CESC House near the busy Esplanade Crossing. The faction then moved Justice Bhattacharya's bench, challenging the advisory.
The Rebel Faction's Parallel Rally
Adding a sharp political dimension to the legal dispute, a rival group within the party — a rebel-majority faction led by expelled TMC legislator Ritabrata Banerjee — has separately sought and obtained Kolkata Police permission to hold its own rally on 21 July on Jawaharlal Nehru Road in central Kolkata. The parallel event underscores a deepening internal fracture within the Trinamool Congress ahead of one of its most politically charged annual occasions.
Why Martyrs' Day Matters
The 21 July Martyrs' Day rally commemorates the 1993 Youth Congress firing in Kolkata, in which 13 people were killed. Under Mamata Banerjee's leadership, the event evolved into the TMC's flagship annual show of strength, drawing lakhs of supporters to central Kolkata each year. Control over the venue and the rally is therefore not merely administrative — it is a direct assertion of political legitimacy within a fractured party.
What Happens Next
The Calcutta High Court is set to hear the matter again in the afternoon session, when the West Bengal government's clarification is expected. The court's order — whether it upholds the police advisory, grants permission for the traditional venue, or directs a negotiated alternative — will determine the shape of this year's rally with less than a week to go. Both factions are watching the outcome closely, as the venue question has become a proxy battle for who commands the TMC's symbolic centre.
Point of View
Kolkata Police — which reports to the state government — has effectively taken a side in an intra-party war. The Calcutta High Court's afternoon order will be read not just as a legal ruling but as a signal about who the state apparatus recognises as the 'real' Trinamool Congress. That is an unusual position for a court to be placed in, and it reflects how thoroughly institutional processes in West Bengal have become entangled with factional politics.
NationPress
15 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Kolkata Police deny permission for the TMC Martyrs' Day rally at CESC House?
Kolkata Police denied the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC faction permission to hold the 21 July Martyrs' Day rally at its traditional CESC House venue near Esplanade Crossing in central Kolkata. The police instead suggested Brigade Parade Ground as an alternative and subsequently invoked Section 163 of the BNSS, 2023, prohibiting assembly of four or more persons near the original site.
What did the Calcutta High Court order on 15 July?
A single-judge bench of Justice Sougata Bhattacharya directed the West Bengal government to clarify its stand on the rally venue before the court in the afternoon session of the same day. The bench was hearing a plea filed by the Mamata Banerjee-led faction challenging the police advisory.
What is Martyrs' Day and why is the venue significant?
Martyrs' Day on 21 July commemorates the 1993 Youth Congress firing in Kolkata in which 13 people were killed. Under Mamata Banerjee, the annual rally at CESC House near Esplanade Crossing became the TMC's flagship show of strength, making the venue symbolically central to the party's identity.
Who is Ritabrata Banerjee and what is the rebel faction's plan?
Ritabrata Banerjee is an expelled TMC legislator who leads a rebel-majority faction within the party. His group has obtained Kolkata Police permission to hold a separate Martyrs' Day rally on 21 July on Jawaharlal Nehru Road in central Kolkata, creating a parallel event to the Banerjee faction's contested rally.
What happens if the court rules against the TMC faction?
If the Calcutta High Court upholds the police advisory, the Mamata Banerjee-led faction would be barred from holding the rally at the CESC House site and would face pressure to either accept Brigade Parade Ground or seek further legal remedy. The outcome will also carry significant political implications given the intra-party rivalry with the rebel faction.
