Trinamool to hold rallies to honour soldiers who laid down their lives in India-Pakistan conflict

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) announced connected Wednesday (May 14, 2025) that it volition clasp processions crossed West Bengal connected May 17 and 18 to honour the contributions of jawans and widen condolences to the families of those who died successful the caller India-Pakistan conflict.

The announcement comes astatine a clip erstwhile the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has declared plans for a ‘Tiranga Yatra’ celebrating the valour of the Indian Armed Forces successful the caller cross-border conflict.

“Our enactment has announced rallies connected Saturday [May 17, 2025] and Sunday [May 18, 2025] from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. successful each artifact and ward [urban areas] to wage our respects to the jawans and widen condolences towards the families of those bravehearts who laid down their lives for the motherland,” West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC chairperson, Mamata Banerjee, said.

Ms. Banerjee, who had extended afloat enactment to the Union government’s Operation Sindoor, stated that she does not presumption organising events to wage respects to the equipped forces arsenic a governmental move.

“We don’t spot this substance politically arsenic respective others [do]. I didn’t marque immoderate comments nor did our enactment members oregon the State government. It is our work to wage our respects to the martyrs who laid down their lives for our state and the equipped forces who fought for us,” the Chief Minister said.

Earlier connected Wednesday, the Chief Minister spoke to the household members, including the wife, of Purnam Kumar Shaw, the Border Security Force (BSF) jawan who was repatriated aft spending 22 days successful the captivity of Pakistani rangers. Ms. Banerjee had besides antecedently extended condolences and offered a occupation to the household of Jhantu Ali Sheikh, an Army jawan who was killed successful enactment successful Jammu and Kashmir.

Left activists BJP supporters look off

Meanwhile, implicit the past fewer days, Left parties person held processions demanding an extremity to hostilities connected the bluish and occidental fronts, which were opposed by the BJP. Earlier this week, the full enactment of the Left parties, including Communist Party of India (Marxist) State Secretary Mohammed Salim and Left Front Chairperson Biman Basu, participated successful a march against ‘war’.

“A enactment is teaching a caller acquisition successful patriotism! Whenever we speech astir unity, we are being attacked,” Mr. Salim has said. On 1 occasion, a march by Left Front supporters confronted BJP activists. Led by person Sajal Ghosh and Tamaghna Ghosh, the BJP workers blocked roads successful protestation against the Left activists’ march. Mr. Sajal Ghosh was detained by the constabulary to incorporate the situation.

Published - May 14, 2025 11:15 p.m. IST