Suri: The renaming of a three-kilometre stretch of road – earlier named after Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and now after Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee – in Birbhum’s Rampurhat has led to protests and a political row.The stretch, running from Panchmatha More to Jhanjhania Pool, was renamed on July 6 in an event marking Mookerjee’s birth anniversary. A statue was also unveiled. Rampurhat BJP MLA Dhruba Saha and TMC’s Rampurhat Municipality chairperson Soumen Bhakat were both present at the event.Protesters have raised questions about whether an MLA holds the legal authority to rename public roads. Saha had unveiled a saffron plaque bearing the road’s new name. Despite the plaque, municipal records, local shop signboards and govt cooperative society signs continue to display the name ‘Netaji Subhash Road’.Stating that no official permission had been granted to change the name, Bhakat said, “There are many rules regarding the naming of roads. First, a proposal has to be passed in the municipal board and informed to the state administration. When the state govt gives instructions, subsequent steps are taken.”The municipality chairperson acknowledged receiving an application from BJP for the renaming, but insisted, “Sitting on this chair, I cannot change a road’s name. The municipality has not changed any name till now.”Saha, meanwhile, claimed that municipal records did not list an official name for the stretch. “We did not receive any document from the municipality regarding the road’s original name. More importantly, the naming was done in the presence of the municipal chairperson,” Saha said.CPM and Congress workers have staged protests demanding the immediate restoration of the road’s original name. Posters of Netaji have been put up across Rampurhat town, and Left-aligned groups have submitted deputations to municipality and SDO.CPM Birbhum neta Sanjib Mallick said: “The MLA and the municipality chairperson have suddenly renamed the road. Renaming cannot be done like this. The objective of BJP and RSS is to erase the history of India’s freedom movement.”State Congress general secretary said: “Being a former MLA and a lawyer, I know that an MLA has no authority to change the name of any road. That is the govt’s job. By changing this name, they have done an illegal act.”Dismissing the criticism, Saha countered: “Netaji is in our hearts. We respect him. We will not take lessons from CPM, which insulted Netaji during his lifetime and after his death.”
