A large number of people from across West Bengal numbering in lakhs have congregated at Esplanade, the city's downtown area, for the mega Martyr's Day rally by the ruling Trinamool Congress being held amidst tight security on Thursday.
The annual rally is being held after a gap of two years due to the pandemic and enthusiastic party supporters started arriving at the venue as early as 4 am in trains, buses, and private vehicles. Many of them arrived in the city two days ago for the rally and have been housed in camps. The highlight of the rally will be an address by the feisty TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee. Mantu Haldar from Bamangachi near Barasat said, “I have come here to hear `Didi’. I came by bus with many others who work for the party or support it early this morning.”
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TMC workers were seen arriving at the two terminal railway stations of Howrah and Sealdah in overcrowded local trains holding party flags, cutouts of Banerjee playing the traditional 'dhaaks' (double-sided drums), and even blowing conches. At least 4,500 police personnel have been deployed across the city to maintain law and order in the city during the day.
This year's rally is also special as it is the first after the party's decisive victory in the state election in 2021 and TMC's return to power for the third consecutive term. Banerjee had said on Wednesday said that the Martyrs' Day rally will be against the Centre's "authoritarian rule".
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TMC observes Martyrs' Day on July 21 every year to commemorate the killing of 13 people in police firing on a Youth Congress rally against the then Left Front government in 1993 when Banerjee was the YC state president. She continues to observe the day even after forming the Trinamool Congress in 1998 and coming to power in West Bengal in 2011.
