Calcutta High Court issues legal notice
The Calcutta High Court has ordered that notices be issued to TMC leader Mamata Banerjee and general secretary Abhishek Banerjee in connection with a contempt case. The proceedings stem from allegations that the party violated court directives regarding traffic management during the Martyrs' Day rally held on July 21. The matter was brought before a division bench comprising Justice Arijit Banerjee and Justice Apurba Sinha Ray by advocate Srikanta Datta.
Details of the alleged violations
The petitioner argued that the rally disregarded a 2018 court order which explicitly mandates that major roads must not be completely blocked during public events. A bench led by the then Chief Justice Jyotirmay Bhattacharya and Justice Arijit Banerjee had previously ordered that pathways must remain clear for pedestrians and emergency vehicles at all times. According to TrendKia, the advocate claimed that the rally held by TMC on July 21, 2025, caused a complete gridlock in the Esplanade area of Kolkata, effectively breaching the judicial mandate.
Background of the rally
The TMC observes 'Martyrs' Day' annually on July 21 to commemorate the events of July 21, 1993, when 13 Youth Congress workers were killed in police firing during a rally led by Mamata Banerjee against the then-Left Front government. Following her departure from the Congress party in the late 1990s, Mamata Banerjee founded the TMC. The party continues to host this annual rally at Dharmatala. The court has scheduled the next hearing for this contempt petition for July 3.
