'Will continue to fight to uphold the honour of every Indian', says Mamata

Asserting that she will continue her battle to uphold the honour of every Indian, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday said Bengal once rose against the atrocities of foreign rulers and will keep fighting against any injustice. Extending Independence Day greetings, she said she was sure that the people would be by her side in this battle. Remembering freedom fighters like Chittaranjan Das, Khudiram Basu and Prafulla Chaki, Banerjee said, "This Bengal stood tall and fought against foreign powers, against injustice and oppression. The spirit of struggle runs in our blood. Even today, we roar against injustice." She recalled the contributions of Rammohan Roy, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, Ramakrishna and Rabindranath Tagore, stating, "I also pay respects to all the visionaries who, since the time of the Bengal Renaissance, reshaped Bengal and India."

"In the days to come, our struggle to uphold the honour of every citizen will continue on the path shown by these pioneers. Our goal is to build the nation that our freedom fighters dreamt of, for which they made life and death their servants. I am certain that in this struggle, the people will stand by our side," she said in a post on X in Bengali. Banerjee hoisted the national flag and inspected the Independence Day parade at Red Road. Various units of the Kolkata Police and the West Bengal Police took part in the parade. Colourful tableaux, showcasing various social welfare schemes of the state government, also took part in the two-hour-long programme.