The faction led by expelled legislator Ritabrata Banerjee from Trinamool Congress has declared a monthly compensation of Rs 10,000 for the families of the 13 Youth Congress workers who lost their lives in police firing back in 1993 during the Left Front regime in West Bengal. This compensation is contingent upon the faction being granted rights over the party name, symbol, and funds by the Election Commission of India (ECI).
Ritabrata mentioned that this financial aid would be sourced from party funds. He emphasized that if the Election Commission rules in their favor, the first resolution in the national working committee meeting of Trinamool Congress would be to provide Rs 10,000 monthly compensation to the families of the 13 martyrs. The feasibility of this compensation has already been assessed by the faction.
In a separate rally, former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee asserted her determination to approach the Supreme Court to uphold her claim over the party name and symbol. On a related note, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari presented the report of the Justice Susanta Chatterjee (Retired) Commission in the assembly, which was set up by the previous Trinamool government to investigate the deaths of the 13 Youth Congress workers.
Adhikari criticized the previous administration for not following the Commission’s recommendation on compensation. The Commission had proposed Rs 25 lakh for the families of the deceased and Rs 12 lakh for the injured individuals. However, the previous government only disbursed Rs 2 lakh to the families of the deceased and Rs 15,000 to the injured. Adhikari urged the affected families to file a fresh FIR and assured that the government would provide the recommended compensation from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund if desired.
