West Bengal has witnessed a series of controversies since the formation of the new government, and a fresh political row has now erupted over the renaming of a prominent Kolkata road.
The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) recently renamed Suhrawardy Avenue as Gopal Mukherjee Road. The move was welcomed by West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, who described it as a "historic" decision that corrected a longstanding wrong.
In a post on X, Adhikari said the road had been named after a person who had "wilfully misused state power as a weapon" and was responsible for the massacre of innocent citizens for political gain. However, opposition leaders accused the government of acting on incorrect historical information.
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Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Kunal Ghosh argued that Suhrawardy Avenue was named after Dr Hasan Suhrawardy, a renowned physician, educationist and former Vice-Chancellor of Calcutta University. Ghosh pointed out that Dr Hasan Suhrawardy was not the same person as Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy, the then Premier of Bengal who has often been linked to the 1946 Calcutta killings. According to Ghosh, Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy was Hasan Suhrawardy's nephew.
{{/usCountry}}Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Kunal Ghosh argued that Suhrawardy Avenue was named after Dr Hasan Suhrawardy, a renowned physician, educationist and former Vice-Chancellor of Calcutta University. Ghosh pointed out that Dr Hasan Suhrawardy was not the same person as Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy, the then Premier of Bengal who has often been linked to the 1946 Calcutta killings. According to Ghosh, Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy was Hasan Suhrawardy's nephew.
{{/usCountry}}"If, by mistake, instead of the nephew, they punish the uncle, that will be unfortunate," Ghosh wrote on X, urging the chief minister and KMC to verify the historical records.
Congress leader Pawan Khera also criticised the government, alleging that it had confused Hasan Shahid Suhrawardy — a scholar, educationist, art critic and former Vice-Chancellor of Calcutta University — with Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy, whom he referred to as the "Butcher of Bengal."
Former TMC Rajya Sabha MP Saket Gokhale echoed the criticism, saying Suhrawardy Avenue had been named in honour of Hasan Suhrawardy in April 1933 and not after Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy. He accused the BJP government of failing to verify basic historical facts before taking the decision.
Responding to the criticism, Bengal BJP chief spokesperson Debjit Sarkar said the KMC could explain the rationale behind selecting the road for renaming. He added that the BJP welcomed a road being named after Gopal Mukherjee, whom he described as a man who protected the lives and honour of thousands during a turbulent period in Bengal's history.