The Congress on Monday targeted the BJP over the renaming of Kolkata's Suhrawardy Avenue as Gopal Mukherjee Road, with party leader Pawan Khera citing a message by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a book on Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee to question the BJP's position on the issue.
Khera's Remarks and Book Reference
Khera's remarks came a day after West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari welcomed the Kolkata Municipal Corporation's decision to rename the road, describing it as a correction of a 'historical wrong'. In a post on X, Khera referred to the book ‘Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee: The Great Educationist’, authored by senior BJP leader Dr Nand Kishore Garg and carrying a message from the Prime Minister. He claimed the publication states that Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee was a strong supporter of Dr Hassan Suhrawardy.
Congress Accuses BJP of Historical Misrepresentation
Using the reference to counter the BJP's criticism of the Suhrawardy name, Khera said those backing the renaming should first examine their own historical references. In a swipe at the BJP, he accused its supporters of spreading misinformation and termed it a case of 'intellectual bankruptcy'. According to Khera, the BJP's stance contradicts the very historical figure they claim to honor.
Background of the Renaming Controversy
The row began after the Kolkata Municipal Corporation approved the renaming of Suhrawardy Avenue as Gopal Mukherjee Road during an event marking Paschimbanga Divas. Welcoming the move, Adhikari said the decision would help correct a historical injustice. He alleged that for decades, a major road in Kolkata had carried the name of a person linked to the misuse of state power and communal violence during a turbulent chapter in Bengal's history. The BJP leader said naming the road after Gopal Mukherjee would honour a figure whom he described as having protected and saved thousands of innocent people during the violence. He added that the decision would help restore recognition to individuals who, according to him, played a crucial role during that period.
TMC's Response and Clarification
However, the BJP's position drew a sharp response from the Trinamool Congress. TMC Rajya Sabha MP Saket Gokhale said the road was named after Dr Hassan Suhrawardy and not his nephew, Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy, whose role during the 1946 Direct Action Day riots has remained politically contentious. Gokhale argued that the two figures were being conflated in the ongoing political debate and maintained that the original naming of the road was linked to Dr Hassan Suhrawardy. The TMC MP's clarification aimed to differentiate between the two individuals, suggesting that the BJP's criticism was based on a mistaken identity.
