Kolkata: The “rebel but majority” faction in Trinamool Congress led by expelled legislator Ritabrata Banerjee on Tuesday announced Rs 10,000 monthly compensation for the families of the 13 Youth Congress workers killed in police firing on July 21, 1993, during the Left Front regime in West Bengal under the then Chief Minister Jyoti Basu.
Announcing a Martyrs’ Day rally in Central Kolkata, Ritabrata said the compensation would be given if the faction is granted rights over the party name, electoral symbol, and funds by the Election Commission of India (ECI).
He stated that the money would come from party funds. “If the EC decides in our favour, then in the first national working committee meeting of Trinamool Congress, the first resolution will be to pay Rs 10,000 monthly compensation to the families of the 13 martyrs. We have already done the calculation and found that it is possible,” Ritabrata said.
Meanwhile, former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, addressing another rally organised by her faction, vowed to go to the Supreme Court to retain her right over the party name and symbol.
On Monday, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari tabled in the assembly the report of the Justice Susanta Chatterjee (Retired) Commission, which the previous Trinamool government had constituted to probe the deaths of the 13 Youth Congress workers.
After tabling the report, Adhikari said the previous Mamata Banerjee government did not adhere to the Commission’s recommendation on compensation.
“The Commission recommended Rs 25 lakh for the families of the deceased and Rs 12 lakh for the injured. The previous government gave only Rs 2 lakh to the families of the deceased and Rs 15,000 to the injured. You should be ashamed. I am asking families of the injured or deceased to file a fresh FIR. Our government will give that opportunity. And if you want compensation as recommended by the Commission, we will also give that money from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund,” CM Adhikari said.
(IANS)
