TMC’s Martyrs’ Day rally draws massive celebrity support
KOLKATA: From top Tollywood stars like Dev to popular TV actresses like Trina Saha and Soumitrisha Kundu, Trinamool’s Martyrs’ Day rally witnessed a massive turnout of celebrities.
Setting the tone for the 2026 Assembly elections, TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee accused the BJP of allegedly unleashing ‘linguistic terrorism’ against Bengalis. She urged people to unite in the fight to protect their mother tongue.
Supporting her in this mega rally were hundreds of celebrities from the Bengali film and TV industry. More than 35 personalities from the sports world were also present. Ever since Banerjee assumed office, she has enjoyed strong support from the Bengali glamour world. Several stars like Dev, Rachana Banerjee, Satabdi Roy, Raj Chakraborty, Kanchan Mullick and Saayoni Ghosh have taken on political roles as MPs and MLAs under the TMC banner.
On July 21, Banerjee once again showcased her popularity among the entertainment fraternity. Superstar Dev, who is also the TMC MP from Ghatal, flew in from Scotland on Monday morning to attend the event. Dev had been shooting for ‘Projapoti 2’ in London before taking a vacation in Scotland with his family.
He appeared on stage in a black shirt. Others like Sayantika, Saayoni, Kanchan and Raj were mostly seen in white.
The appearance of Tollywood actresses Srabanti Chatterjee, Rupanjana Mitra and Rimjhim Mitra was viewed by many as a “ghar wapsi” (homecoming). All three had joined the BJP during the 2019 political wave. “It feels like I am in heaven. I can breathe freely again,” said Rupanjana, a familiar face on Bengali TV, upon her return to the TMC. Banerjee acknowledged Srabanti’s presence on stage, sparking speculation about whether the actress will contest the 2026 elections on a TMC ticket.
As is customary for every Shaheed Diwas, the Tollywood brigade gathered at Nandan in the morning for breakfast before boarding a bus to the rally venue. Echoing the TMC chief’s stand on the language movement against BJP’s ‘linguistic’ aggression, Hooghly TMC MP and actress Rachana said: “I can’t believe people are being detained for speaking in Bengali. I speak in Bengali too. Let them arrest me.”
Meanwhile, Jadavpur TMC MP and actress Saayoni Ghosh took a jibe at the BJP’s rally in Uttarkanya on Monday. “The BJP is struggling to get people to join their Uttarkanya rally. After the 2026 Assembly elections, they will be nowhere to be seen in Bengal,” she said.
