Mamata Banerjee reaffirmed her leadership as TMC chairperson at the Martyr's Day rally after receiving Calcutta High Court permission to hold the event on Cathedral Road. Despite facing accusations of sabotage, including vandalism and power outages, Mamata and key figures like Abhishek Banerjee remained present throughout the night, demonstrating a strong commitment. Her extensive speech emphasized her role as the founder president and rallied supporters with the 'Khela Hobe' slogan, declaring her faction as the 'real Trinamool' and challenging those who left. Furthermore, she extended an invitation for national opposition unity, indicating proactive engagement with other political parties and readiness to participate in protests in Delhi.

Mamata Banerjee reaffirmed her leadership as TMC chairperson at the Martyr's Day rally after receiving Calcutta High Court permission to hold the event on Cathedral Road. Despite facing accusations of sabotage, including vandalism and power outages, Mamata and key figures like Abhishek Banerjee remained present throughout the night, demonstrating a strong commitment. Her extensive speech emphasized her role as the founder president and rallied supporters with the 'Khela Hobe' slogan, declaring her faction as the 'real Trinamool' and challenging those who left. Furthermore, she extended an invitation for national opposition unity, indicating proactive engagement with other political parties and readiness to participate in protests in Delhi.

Mamata Banerjee reaffirmed her leadership as TMC chairperson at the Martyr's Day rally after receiving Calcutta High Court permission to hold the event on Cathedral Road. Despite facing accusations of sabotage, including vandalism and power outages, Mamata and key figures like Abhishek Banerjee remained present throughout the night, demonstrating a strong commitment. Her extensive speech emphasized her role as the founder president and rallied supporters with the 'Khela Hobe' slogan, declaring her faction as the 'real Trinamool' and challenging those who left. Furthermore, she extended an invitation for national opposition unity, indicating proactive engagement with other political parties and readiness to participate in protests in Delhi.

After winning Calcutta HC nod to be on the streets and consolidate her stand as the real Trinamool Congress (TMC) chairperson, Mamata Banerjee made her presence felt during the Martyr’s Day rally on July 21. This time it was not on a big scale in front of Victoria House. The turnout was in thousands on Cathedral Road, her supporters flocked to the venue from all parts of the state. Mamata’s speech went well over an hour as the crowd listened to her with full attention. The turnout was a big boost for Mamata who had lost her party MLAs and MPs to the Ritabrata Banerjee faction. Mamata thanked the Calcutta High Court for granting permission to her bloc for holding the rally.

“Despite the high court order, the way they (BJP) troubled us, we know under whose orders it happened,” said Mamata Banerjee while hinting at the ruling BJP government officials.

The Mamata faction alleged their event was being sabotaged on the eve of July 21, which prompted Mamata and Abhishek to come to the spot around 10.05 pm and stay there all night. Other party leaders like Mahua Moitra, Kalyan Banerjee, Derek O'Brien, Kunal Ghosh and Dola Sen were also there supporting Mamata. The TMC supremo, however, stayed well into the morning till around 7.30 am.

Allegations included the stage being reportedly vandalised and the electricity being disconnected. The party supremo also alleged there were people on motorcycles outside her house before leaving for the rally, whom she termed ‘lumpens’. “They cannot stop me, I have a plan A, plan B, plan C,” said Mamata.

The message that Mamata sent out was that she is the founder president of the TMC and that ‘they’ are the real Trinamool. “I challenge you (her detractors) to go to BJP. I have no problem. I have my youth and new people to take your place,” added Mamata.

Her nephew and MP Abhishek Banerjee appealed to the party leader not to take back leaders who wished to come back in the future. “History favours those who are loyal, not those who are traitors,” said Abhishek Banerjee. “There are those who want to ditch the Trinamool Congress and break the party, but it will emerge stronger.”

Mamata’s July 21 speech was a call for a freedom revolution and she asked her party workers not to fear going to jail as a new history is being scripted. “Those who are fighting today are the real workers,” emphasised Mamata, making it clear she was not perturbed by her party leaders switching sides to the BJP, the Ritabrata bloc or her 20 Lok Sabha MPs merging with the Tripura-based NCPI.

“We are the real Trinamool. Removing the signboard does not change things. That is the BJP signboard,” clarified Mamata. The TMC supremo did not fail to use the quintessential ‘Khela Hobe’ call, which translates to “Let the games begin.”

Mamata sounded out opposition leaders to come together in the state and nationally, saying she was in touch with opposition parties and that her fight would travel from the villages and districts all the way from Kolkata to Delhi. In the backdrop of the Delhi Police crackdown on student protests led by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) on Monday, Mamata said that if needed, she will join the protests in Delhi. “If need be, I will go to Delhi and take part in the protest.”

Mamata was accompanied by Kalyan Banerjee, Mahua Moitra, Rajeev Kumar, Dola Sen, Babul Supriyo, Kunal Ghosh and Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay.

While the Mamata faction finds itself outnumbered by the rebels, who were holding another Martyr’s Day rally about one kilometre away on Mayo Road, the supporters in the crowd and her leaders on stage were proof that Mamata’s street fighter factor has not dimmed.

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