Kolkata, 21 July (H.S.): Sharp political exchanges marked the parallel July 21 programmes in Kolkata on Tuesday, with leaders from rival Trinamool Congress factions and the Congress targeting one another over the future of the party and the legacy of the 1993 movement.

Speaking at the Mayo Road rally, senior leader Madan Mitra launched a direct attack on Trinamool Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee. Addressing Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Mitra said, I am speaking only to you. Abhishek has given you one hour; we are giving you one month. Leave Abhishek and come to this stage to declare that you are with the Trinamool, not with Abhishek.

He also challenged Abhishek Banerjee to appear at the rally and admit that he had harmed the party. Referring again to Mamata Banerjee, Mitra said she had become Chief Minister because of the people and not because of Abhishek Banerjee or celebrities, and urged her to join their platform.

Meanwhile, addressing supporters at the Kalighat Trinamool programme, Mamata Banerjee declared that she would soon begin district-wide tours and challenged her political opponents to try and stop her. She also alleged that the BJP had attempted to prevent her from leaving her residence on Tuesday morning. Banerjee thanked members of martyrs' families for attending the Kalighat rally despite what she described as attempts to lure them away.

At the Congress' Martyrs' Day programme at Shahid Minar, the party demanded action against former West Bengal Home Secretary Manish Gupta over the 1993 police firing. Congress placed Gupta's photograph inside a symbolic dock, alleging that he had ordered police to open fire on protesters during the Left Front regime. A photograph of then Youth Congress leader Mamata Banerjee was also displayed at the venue.

The Kalighat Trinamool stage was attended by leaders including Kirti Azad, Babul Supriyo, Shobhandeb Chattopadhyay, Rajeev Kumar, Sagarika Ghose, Kalyan Banerjee, Pratima Mondal, Biman Banerjee, Sougata Roy, Mahua Moitra, Ashok Deb and Gautam Deb. Abhishek Banerjee also reached the venue before Mamata Banerjee arrived from her Kalighat residence.

The Mayo Road programme was attended by Firhad Hakim, Snehashis Chakraborty, Shiuli Saha, Arup Chakraborty, Anubrata Mondal, state president of the Ritabrata-led Trinamool faction Biplab Mitra, Javed Khan, Debasish Kumar, Madan Mitra, Krishna Chakraborty and Rabindranath Chattopadhyay, among others. Members of several families of the 1993 martyrs, including those of Ranjit Das, Mohammad Khaled, Dilip Das and Ratan Mondal, were also present.

Attendance at the Congress' Shahid Minar rally continued to grow through the day, although the ground was yet to reach full capacity. The West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee alleged that BJP workers vandalised buses carrying Congress supporters at several places and blocked vehicles transporting party workers. The party also accused BJP workers of attacking Congress activists at Canning railway station. State Congress president Shubhankar Sarkar condemned the incident and urged the police to take appropriate action. Senior Congress leaders including Deepa Dasmunsi, Imran Pratapgarhi, Pawan Khera and Uday Bhanu Chib were present at the rally.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Priyanka Pandey