West Bengal Congress president Subhankar Sarkar on Tuesday invited Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee to attend the party's July 21 programme in Kolkata, saying she should acknowledge that leaving the Congress nearly three decades ago was a "mistake".
After inspecting preparations for the Congress' 'Martyrs' Day' event at Shahid Minar, Sarkar told reporters that Banerjee should recognise the historical importance of the July 21, 1993 movement rather than "attempting to rewrite its legacy".
"If Mamata Banerjee really has the courage, she should not distort history. She should admit that she took a wrong political decision in the past. She is welcome to come to our programme at Shahid Minar and pay tribute to the martyrs," he said.
Sarkar maintained that the July 21, 1993 agitation was organised under the banner of the Youth Congress and said its association with the Congress remains an undeniable part of history.
"The movement of July 21, 1993 was held under the Youth Congress flag. That is a part of history, and there is no scope to deny it. A political leader who respects his or her own political past earns greater respect," he said.
The state Congress chief further said Banerjee's presence at the programme, along with an admission that quitting the Congress had been a political error, would carry significant symbolic value.
"If she publicly says that leaving the Congress was a mistake and comes to the Shahid Minar stage to pay homage to the July 21 martyrs, it will be an important act of political atonement. It will at least show an effort to correct some of the mistakes of the past. The Congress stage is open to everyone, and she is free to come and pay her respects," Sarkar said.
The July 21, 1993 protest, led by Banerjee when she was with the Youth Congress, ended in tragedy after 13 people allegedly died in police firing during the rally.
Banerjee parted ways with the Congress in December 1997 to establish the Trinamool Congress. Since then, her party has marked July 21 each year with large public rallies that gradually evolved into a demonstration of the TMC's organisational strength, while the Congress continued to observe the anniversary through comparatively modest programmes.
Following Banerjee's defeat in the recent Assembly elections, the political landscape surrounding the anniversary has shifted, with the TMC now grappling with internal rebellion.
A dissident faction of the TMC led by Ritabrata Banerjee has announced a separate observance near the Mahatma Gandhi statue in Esplanade. Meanwhile, police have refused permission to a group loyal to the former Chief Minister to hold its customary programme in front of Victoria House, and the matter is currently pending before the court.
