PRAYAGRAJ: Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad (ABAP) chief Narendra Giri on Wednesday demanded rechristening of all roads named after Mughal invaders and Britishers.
The opposition in UP condemned the demand on Thursday, saying the government should function according to the Constitution and not as per the whims of priests and saints, or else it will set a dangerous precedent. On Wednesday, Giri had said: “India got Independence 74 years ago and roads named after Mughal invaders like Tughlak, Humayun and Babur, and Britishers in Delhi should be renamed after Chandra Shekhar Azad, Subhas Chandra Bose, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Gulzari Lal Nanda and Veer Abdul Hameed.”
Giri further said: “Why should roads still be named after Mughal invaders and Britishers, who looted and divided the country? Most countrymen, particularly youngsters, feel embarrassed after seeing roads named after invaders. These roads should be renamed on martyrs who laid down their lives for the country.”
Reacting sharply to the Akhara Parishad chief’s statement, SP district spokesperson Daan Bahadur ‘Madhur’ said, “The contribution of Mughal emperors in making India a great nation cannot be forgotten.”
He accused the saffron brigade of diverting the attention of the common man from persisting problems like unemployment and inflation to irrelevant issues. Pradesh Congress Committee member Mukund Tiwari said, “Roads are named after personalities who made our nation great irrespective of their caste, creed and religion.”