Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], July 22 : West Bengal Congress President Subhankar Sarkar launched a sharp attack on TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday, accusing the TMC of converting 'Martyrs' Day' into a "political spectacle" and asserting that a long-standing nexus exists between the TMC and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Reassessing the state's political dynamics while addressing the media, Sarkar cited an old local adage," where there is TMC, there is BJP, and where there is BJP, there is TMC", claiming recent events provide fresh evidence of the two parties mutually aiding each other to weaken the Congress in West Bengal.
Speaking to ANI, Sarkar said that when Mamata Banerjee broke away from the Congress to form the TMC and started observing Martyrs' Day under her party's banner, questions arose over whether the event was genuinely meant to honour the martyrs.
"When Mamata Banerjee broke away from the Congress to form a new party and established 'Martyrs' Day' under her own banner to advance her political career, one wonders if she truly felt any grief, hurt, or pain for the martyrs. It seemed as though 'Martyrs' Day' had turned into mere entertainment or a spectacle," he said.
The West Bengal Congress chief further alleged that the BJP had supported Banerjee when she was trying to weaken the Congress and form a new political outfit.
"Today, even when Mamata Banerjee faces a bit of a setback, bleeding politically, so to speak, the BJP is behind it. They created a 'hybrid' party out of the situation, and that hybrid party even organised an event to honour the martyrs," Sarkar said.
He added that the roots of the issue lay in the Congress and referred to a popular saying in Bengal to attack the alleged political understanding between the TMC and BJP.
"The reality is that it all started with the Congress. There used to be a saying in our Bengal: where there is TMC, there is BJP, and where there is BJP, there is TMC. This serves as fresh evidence," he said.
The Trinamool Congress on Tuesday observed its 21st July Martyrs' Day rally at Birla Planetarium in Kolkata, West Bengal, to commemorate the 13 Youth Congress workers who were killed in police firing during a protest under the Left Front regime in 1993.
TMC supporters gathered in Kolkata for the Martyrs' Day event, with one supporter expressing confidence in the party's electoral prospects."TMC will win again. I support Didi," the supporter said.
Meanwhile, BJP leader Keya Ghosh criticised the TMC's observance of the day and alleged that the event had been turned into a political spectacle.
"This event originated during Mamata Banerjee's time in the TMC; back then, the TMC used to observe it by setting up stages for entertainment and bringing in television stars, turning it into a spectacle where the BJP was verbally abused. She never truly focused on the martyrs themselves," Ghosh said.
"How many martyrs' families did she actually stand by or help secure jobs for while she was in power?" she asked.
Ghosh also targeted Congress, saying, "As for Congress, they should actually be thanking the BJP government; for all these years, they were unable to observe the day properly. Now that the BJP government is here, they are able to properly observe July 21. This is true democracy."
Meanwhile, rebel TMC MPs who have joined the NCPI marked the occasion in Delhi by visiting Raj Ghat.
Rebel TMC MP and NCPI leader Sudip Bandyopadhyay said they visited Raj Ghat to remember the 13 Youth Congress workers killed in the 1993 police firing.
"In 1993, police firing killed 13 innocent Youth Congress workers during the Jyoti Basu government. We observe 21st July as Martyrs' Day against that. We have joined a new party, NCPI, now. So, we thought of coming to Raj Ghat and remembering those martyrs," Bandyopadhyay told reporters.
The TMC's Martyrs' Day event is being held amid heightened political activity in West Bengal, with the ruling party commemorating the 1993 police firing and Opposition parties using the occasion to target the state government and its handling of the event.