Mamata to use Shaheed Diwas address for national outreach?

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will virtually address her supporters on the occasion of Shaheed Diwas on July 21. The speech will be telecast live across states such as Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Delhi, Tamil Nadu and Assam.

On July 21, 1993, Youth Congress activists under the leadership of Mamata Banerjee attempted to storm Writers’ Building, then the seat of power in Kolkata. Police, under instructions from the Jyoti Basu government, opened fire on the protesters, killing 13 and injuring scores. The incident catapulted Mamata to the forefront of Bengal’s politics and she became a household name. Every year since, she has been commemorating July 21 as ‘Shaheed Diwas’ the event only getting grander after she stormed to power in 2011. Massive rallies are organised on the day in Kolkata, with lakhs of Trinamool Congress supporters assembling from every corner of the state.