West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) chairperson Mamata Banerjee on Saturday extended her support to Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra over Ms. Vadra’s efforts in trying to meet the families of those killed in Sonbhadra district of Uttar Pradesh.
“What Priyanka did was not wrong,” Ms Banerjee said. “She had two to three people with her. Even my delegation had Derek [Derek O Brien] and two more people,” she told journalists while inspecting the preparations for the annual July 21 Martyrs’ Day rally of her party at Esplanade.
A delegation of TMC MPs led by Mr. O’ Brien also visited Varanasi to meet the families of those killed in violence over a land dispute in Sonbhadra district. The TMC, on its official Twitter handle, also thanked Ms. Vadra for meeting the party delegation and exchanging her views on the incident.
“Thank you @priyankagandhi for coming by and exchanging thoughts on the #SonbhadraMassacre with the delegation of Trinamool MPs on dharna #video outside Varanasi airport. What a brutal killing of tribals for land rights,” the TMC tweeted.
Ms. Banejee said that when prohibitory orders were issued in West Bengal, the Bharatiya Janata Party ( BJP) leadership sent their leaders in convoys of cars. “The law and order situation in U.P. is very bad. There are hundreds of encounters. People are getting lynched. I believe these things should be looked into,” she said.
A different July 21 rally
Meanwhile, the July 21 rally is likely to be different this time, with the party facing a stiff challenge from the BJP in the State. Unlike earlier years, when the party observed its flagship political event on a triumphant note as the party gained from strength to strength, the mood at this year’s rally may likely mark a course correction for the party.
A section of party leadership opined that the Chief Minister would try to give a fresh direction to the party, which is up for another challenge in the 2021 Assembly polls in the State. Bengal’s ruling party observes July 21 every year as ‘Shahid Dibas’ or Martyrs’ Day to pay homage to 13 Youth Congress workers who were killed in police firing on July 21, 1993. Thousands of TMC supporters have already arrived in the city and many more are on their way. The BJP leadership, has also asserted that the State will see a massive gathering on Sunday
“The results of Lok Sabha elections have shown who stands were,” the BJP’s State president Dilip Ghosh said. “The gathering tomorrow will prove whether it is a show of strength or an occasion to mourn,” he added.
