Mumbai: The Maharashtra government has stripped the title of a public garden named after 18th-century ruler Tipu Sultan,
The Hindutava believing government has taken decision a year after the renovated garden in Malad West was inaugurated by the previous government led by the Shiv Sena.
The decision was announced by the guardian minister for Mumbai suburbs, Mangal Prabhat Lodha.
Lodha said the decision was taken in a DPDC meeting last week, following demands from the local public and from their elected representatives; and that the board at its entrance identifying the garden by this name was removed two days ago with the initiative of the locals from the area.
Lodha said, “Finally, victory of the Right! Ordered removal of name Tipu Sultan from the park in Malad after considering the protests by Sakal Hindu Samaj & demand by @iGopalShetty Ji in the DPDC meeting.
Last year MVA govt had named the ground after Tipu Sultan and we had to protest it!”
Last January, during the time of the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) Government, the renovated garden was inaugurated by Congress MLA Aslam Shaikh. Subsequently, members of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had on January 26 protested naming the garden after Tipu Sultan, who they claim was responsible for the conversion of Hindus to Islam.
Leaders from the BJP, which was then in the opposition, including then MLA Mangal Prabhat Lodha and MP Gopal Shetty had taken to the streets in protest. Aslam Shaikh had at the time clarified that MVA did not rename the garden and that it was always called Tipu Sultan garden locally.
Speaking to the media, Lodha said, “Last year, we protested the name of Tipu Sultan for the garden. We were even arrested at the behest of the government (MVA). I was there, and Gopal Shetty was there. We were taken in police custody and even detained for a long time.”
Denying that the BJP has an agenda over the removal of the name, Lodha said , “Last week, a DPDC meeting happened and I immediately decided that the name should be removed. The day before yesterday, the people themselves from the area came forward and removed the name of the board.”
“The garden was, in fact, never officially called Tipu Sultan. There is no record with the BMC or government that identifies the garden with that name. So how can this be a political decision when the name did not even exist in the first place?” Lodha added.
He said there are other names in consideration for the garden.
The government is mulling renaming the garden after freedom fighters such as Ram Prasad Bismil, Ashfaqulla Khan, or Dr Baba Saheb Ambedkar.
“Renaming the garden is a long process and it will be done by the government and BMC,” Lodha said.
