Congress demands action against former Home Secretary over 1993 firing incident

The Congress party, at its annual Martyrs’ Day celebration on Tuesday, July 21, 2026, demanded a case against former home minister Manish Gupta, who later became a minister in the Trinamool Congress government in 2011, for the police firing incident in 1993.

The development comes just a day after Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari tabled the fact-finding report into the incident prepared by a commission of inquiry led by former Justice Sushanta Kumar Chatterjee. The CM stated that former CM Mamata Banerjee had gained political benefit from the incident but did not release the report to save Mr Gupta even though she received it in 2014.

Former West Bengal State Congress President Pradeep Bhattacharya said, “I have recorded my statement in the commission. The Chatterjee commission had a clear observation that the Home Ministry under the then Left government was responsible for the firing incident. But Mamata Banerjee tried to save it as she was a minister. We should not forget what Mr. Adhikari did then. But the new government tabled the report. A proper investigation and action should be taken against them.”

The party also placed an effigy of Mr Gupta in the witness box on stage. Meanwhile, the party’s youth wing workers were also seen carrying a badge demanding action against Mr Gupta.

The Shahid Minar area, where the congress rally was held, was also decorated with numerous archive photographs of the shooting incident and repeated developments in the following days.

Ms Banerjee, who was then president of the West Bengal Youth Congress, was also seen in two of the photos. One of the photos showed an injured Ms. Banerjee after a clash near the Tea Board office on Brabourne Road (BTM Sarani) during the historic “Mahakaran Abhijan” (Writers Building March). Another was with former Defense Minister George Fernandes.

Taking a thorn in the Trinamool Congress, AICC General Secretary Deepa Das Munshi said that the Congress was finally able to organize the Shahid Diwas rally in real terms on Tuesday, July 22, as the Trinamool Congress organizes this rally every year just to show their political strength.

Congress leaders also claimed that around 14 workers were hospitalized on Tuesday (July 22) after being brutally beaten by the police. “BJP is no different. They are destroying democracy. At least 14 of our workers were admitted to different hospitals in Kolkata, Bardhaman, Domjur, Nadia, Bujbuj. Most of the workers also came with minor injuries. BJP workers beat them up as they were heading towards the rally,” said Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, former leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and five-time Congress MP.

The party also promised to strengthen its fight against the BJP and bring about a change in the central power by 2029. Extending its support to the mass student movement in Delhi led by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), the Congress argued that the true face of the BJP has been exposed.

“This massive mobilization of youth across the country threatened the BJP. They did not even care to reach out to Sonam Wangchuk, who was on hunger strike for over 21 days. But the Congress contacted Anna Hazare within 96 hours of her strike. We brought laws and regulations as per her demand. We knew the BJP supported her,” Mr. Chowdhury said.

The Congress has also announced that they will hold rallies in districts from August 8 to August 14 on various issues, including violence against protesting students in New Delhi and betrayal of Shyamaprasad Mookerjee.

“Bengal is going through a difficult time. The BJP is trying to destroy the refined ‘bhadralok’ culture. Killing people, burning other people’s houses and alienating people from other parties out of fear of them is in the DNA of the BJP. If TMC is the party of thieves, the BJP is the party of dacoits. I appeal to the people of Bengal to go back to their old homes, the Congress. The people of Bengal need a return, not a change” Pratapgarhi, Rajya Sabha MP from Maharashtra.