Martyrs' Day 2025: Three rallies in Kolkata, police deploy 3,000 cops
Synopsis
For the first time, Kolkata is hosting three rival Martyrs' Day rallies on 21 July — a direct consequence of the TMC's internal split and the BJP's sweeping Assembly election win. With 3,000 police deployed and drones overhead, the day is as much a security operation as a political statement.
Key Takeaways
Three simultaneous Martyrs' Day rallies are being held in central Kolkata on 21 July 2025 — a first in the event's history.
The rallies mark the deaths of 13 Youth Congress workers killed in police firing on 21 July 1993 during the Left Front government of Chief Minister Jyoti Basu .
Kolkata Police have deployed 1,000 officers at each of the three venues , with drone surveillance, HRFS, RAF, and CAPF also deployed.
The TMC is represented by two rival factions: the Mamata Banerjee–Abhishek Banerjee minority faction and the Ritabrata Banerjee -led 'rebel majority' faction.
Congress is holding its own rally at Shahid Minar , asserting it has the original claim to the observance since the 1993 event predates the TMC's founding.
A fourth rally is being held at Rajghat, New Delhi , by 20 former TMC Lok Sabha members who have joined the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI) .
Kolkata Police placed the city on heightened alert on 21 July 2025 as three separate Martyrs' Day rallies converged in central Kolkata simultaneously — a first in the event's history, reflecting the fractured state of West Bengal politics following the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s landslide victory in the recently concluded Assembly elections. The rallies commemorate 13 Youth Congress workers killed in police firing on 21 July 1993, during the Left Front government led by the late Chief Minister Jyoti Basu.
Three Rallies, Three Factions
The first rally is being held in front of the Birla Planetarium in central Kolkata, organised by the minority faction of the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) led by former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her nephew Abhishek Banerjee, the party's general secretary.
The second rally is taking place on Jawaharlal Nehru Road, also in central Kolkata, organised by what is described as the 'rebel but majority' faction of the TMC. This group is led by expelled party legislator Ritabrata Banerjee.
The third rally is being held by the West Bengal Unit of the Indian National Congress (Congress) in front of Shahid Minar near Esplanade. Congress asserts its primary claim over the observance, arguing that the 21 July 1993 firing occurred before the TMC was founded — and that the protest march during which the firing took place was led by Mamata Banerjee herself, who was then the Youth Congress president and a sitting Lok Sabha member.
A Fourth Rally in New Delhi
A fourth event linked to the occasion is being held at Rajghat in New Delhi, organised by 20 erstwhile TMC Lok Sabha members. The group — which includes four-time MPs Dr Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, Sudip Bandopadhyay, and Shatabdi Roy — has recently joined the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI).
Security Deployment
Kolkata Police have deployed 1,000 personnel at each of the three city venues, totalling 3,000 officers across the rally sites. Surveillance is being conducted via drones at all three locations. At least five deputy commissioners, including those heading the Central Division and South Division, are present at the venues.
The Heavy Radio Flying Squad (HRFS), Rapid Action Force (RAF), and Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) have also been deployed to prevent any unrest.
The Political Context
Until last year, a single Martyrs' Day rally was organised exclusively by the TMC, which had held political dominance in West Bengal. The BJP's recent Assembly election win has reshaped the opposition landscape sharply, with the TMC itself split into competing factions. This is the first time the occasion has seen three parallel rallies in Kolkata, making the security operation one of the most complex the city has managed for a political event in recent memory.
With all three rallies in close proximity to one another in central Kolkata, authorities are focused on preventing friction between rival groups as the political fault lines in the state continue to deepen.
Point of View
Which has the most historically legitimate claim to the day, is only now asserting it after decades of ceding the space to Mamata Banerjee. The BJP's Assembly win has not just changed the government; it has shattered the opposition's internal hierarchy, and the three-rally spectacle in central Kolkata today is the clearest proof of that disorder.
NationPress
21 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Martyrs' Day on 21 July?
Martyrs' Day on 21 July commemorates 13 Youth Congress workers who were killed in police firing during a protest rally in Kolkata on 21 July 1993, when the Left Front government under Chief Minister Jyoti Basu was in power. The rally at the time was led by Mamata Banerjee, who was then the Youth Congress president.
Why are there three separate Martyrs' Day rallies in Kolkata this year?
The split reflects the fractured state of West Bengal opposition politics following the BJP's landslide Assembly election victory. The TMC has divided into rival factions, and Congress has separately asserted its own claim to the occasion, resulting in three parallel rallies for the first time.
Who is organising each of the three Kolkata rallies?
The first is by the TMC's minority faction led by Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee at Birla Planetarium. The second is by the 'rebel majority' TMC faction led by expelled legislator Ritabrata Banerjee on Jawaharlal Nehru Road. The third is by the West Bengal Congress unit at Shahid Minar near Esplanade.
How many police have been deployed for the rallies?
Kolkata Police have deployed 1,000 officers at each of the three rally venues, totalling 3,000 personnel. Drone surveillance, the Heavy Radio Flying Squad, Rapid Action Force, and Central Armed Police Forces are also deployed, with at least five deputy commissioners present on the ground.
What is the fourth rally and where is it being held?
A fourth rally linked to the occasion is being held at Rajghat in New Delhi, organised by 20 former TMC Lok Sabha members — including four-time MPs Dr Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, Sudip Bandopadhyay, and Shatabdi Roy — who have recently joined the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI).
