TMC's July 21 rally to be held under any circumstances, even without stage or mics: Mamata

Kolkata, Jul 15 (PTI) TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday said her party's July 21 Martyrs' Day rally would be held "under any circumstances" and she was ready to address it from atop a rickshaw without microphones if the rebel camp or the BJP tried to disrupt it. Her remarks came against the backdrop of the split in the Trinamool Congress, with the rival group planning a separate July 21 programme this year. The former chief minister, in a Facebook Live address, thanked the Calcutta High Court for allowing her faction to hold the annual programme near the Birla Planetarium. She, however, expressed apprehension that decorators and sound system operators could be intimidated, and appealed to the police and administration to remain neutral. "I request the administration to be neutral. They may try to threaten the decorators or the microphone operators. Please don't do that," Banerjee said. "We can speak even without microphones. If required, we will address the gathering standing on a rickshaw or a handcart. Once we have announced the meeting, it will certainly be held," Banerjee said. She also claimed that a few days ago senior party leaders Derek O'Brien and Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay were called by the police and advised to hold the programme at Hazra crossing instead. "They made it appear as though this was just a local street-corner programme. How could they even think like that?" The TMC chief urged party workers to ensure they reached the Birla Planetarium venue and not get diverted elsewhere. "Our venue is the Birla Planetarium. Do not go to any other place by mistake. Even if someone tries to divert you elsewhere, break through and come to our programme," she said. Banerjee also appealed to the families of those killed in the 1993 police firing, who are commemorated every year on July 21, to attend the event. "We have been organising this programme for 40 years. Even if I were alone, I would have held it. But I am not alone. Millions of people are with us. My colleagues and party workers are with me," she said. Seeking to project unity, Banerjee asked supporters not to carry photographs of any leader, including herself, to the rally. "There is no need to carry anybody's photograph, not even mine. Just carry the Trinamool Congress symbol and flag," she said. The TMC supremo also appealed to the police to ensure that the programme was held peacefully. "I hope the police will cooperate and ensure that BJP-backed miscreants or those working in connivance with them do not disturb our peaceful meeting," Banerjee said. The July 21 Martyrs’ Day traces its origins to July 21, 1993, when 13 Youth Congress workers were killed in police firing during a rally led by Mamata Banerjee at Esplanade during the Left Front regime. The Congress had declared the day as Martyrs' Day in memory of those killed. After Mamata Banerjee disassociated herself from the Congress and formed the Trinamool Congress in the late 1990s, her party gradually took over the annual observance, holding massive rallies at Dharmatala every year. PTI PNT NSD