Kolkata: Bengal Pradesh Congress will observe Martyr’s Day on July 21 at Kolkata’s Shahid Minar ground and demand the reopening of the case files of the 1993 police firing that killed 13 Congress workers. State Congress president Subhankar Sarkar said the party expects a big turnout and will observe the day with all dignity.Sources indicate families of the victims — earlier seen at Trinamool Congress’s ‘Shahid Divas’ programme — may attend the Congress event this time.Claiming that the day belongs to Congress, Sarkar said, “In 1993, when Mamata Banerjee was the state Youth Congress president, cops opened fire at a protest rally demanding mandatory photo voter ID cards. As many as 13 died. Trinamool hijacked the day from us, though we continued observing it.”Amitabha Chakraborty, coordinator of the July 21 committee, acknowledged Banerjee’s leadership role in the agitation but rejected Trinamool’s claim over the legacy. This year, Congress plans to press for a fresh probe. “Then home secretary Manish Gupta — accused of ordering the firing — was later made a minister under Banerjee. We will urge CM Suvendu Adhikari to order a fresh probe.”
