Kolkata political protests and rally bans

In mid‑July 2026 the Trinamool Congress faction led by Mamata Banerjee petitioned the Calcutta High Court to overturn a police advisory that barred gatherings of four or more people at the CESC House for the party’s annual Martyrs’ Day rally. The court asked the state government for clarification on the venue, while the faction rejected a police‑suggested alternative and called the order arbitrary.

Later in July, other opposition parties intensified street activism in the city. The West Bengal Pradesh Congress announced a march to the Kolkata Police headquarters for early August, demanding better law and order and the withdrawal of cases against its workers. Simultaneously, the BJP staged a “Tiranga Yatra” rally protesting alleged attacks on journalists and police during a student protest over a NEET paper leak, and its activists burned Communist Party flags. These events illustrate an expanding wave of political demonstrations and counter‑measures across party lines in Kolkata.