Mamata Banerjee, chief of the Trinamool Congress (TMC), led a massive rally in Kolkata on Monday, June 2, 2026 [1].
The demonstration signals a deepening conflict between the TMC and state authorities over political violence and the right to protest. By taking to the streets despite a lack of official authorization, Banerjee is challenging the current administrative control in West Bengal.
The protest took place on Rani Rashmoni Avenue [2]. Banerjee organized the dharna to condemn recent attacks on senior TMC leaders, specifically highlighting an attack on her nephew, Abhishek Banerjee [3]. The rally also served as a platform to denounce the BJP and a railway hawker-eviction drive [3].
Banerjee said that the event would proceed regardless of official sanctions. "The party's protest will go ahead even without police permission, microphones or a stage," she said [4].
The TMC leader attributed the current atmosphere to a systemic failure of governance. "Police raj is prevailing in West Bengal," Banerjee said [5].
Banerjee also threatened to escalate her protests beyond the state borders if the authorities continued to restrict her party's activities. "If the police do not permit us, I will go to Delhi and protest alone," she said [6].
The rally occurred amidst a broader period of instability for the party, involving ongoing disputes and probes into political violence [3]. Supporters surrounded Banerjee throughout the event, marking one of the largest mobilizations in the city this month [2].
“"Police raj is prevailing in West Bengal."”
This rally demonstrates Mamata Banerjee's strategy of using grassroots mobilization to bypass administrative hurdles and project strength. By framing the police's refusal to grant permits as a 'police raj,' she is attempting to shift the narrative from specific legal disputes to a broader struggle for democratic rights and party survival in West Bengal.
