With the government deciding to rename Aurangzeb Road in Lutyens’ Delhi after former President APJ Abdul Kalam, former Okhla MLA Asif Mohammed has “named” a road in the constituency after the Mughal emperor. Bright green signages, numbering around 10, with ‘Aurangzeb Road’ written in three languages - Hindi, Urdu and English - have been put up on the 1.5-km road between Okhla and Kalindi Kunj. “It’s not that we idolise the Mughal emperor, Aurangzeb, but it is a mark of protest against the Hindutva ideology behind renaming the road in Lutyens’ Delhi. The RSS and the BJP are meddling with the Islamic past of this country.”
The road, as per records, has not been named till date and it is popularly known as Okhla road or Kalindi Kunj road. Mr. Asif said it was the demand of the people living in Jamia Nagar and nearby colonies to name the street as “Aurangzeb Road”. “None of the Aam Aadmi Party leaders objected to it (renaming of original Aurangzeb Road) and in fact, our Chief Minister, to whom the minorities had voted en bloc, happily tweeted about it. This proves that he is also aligned with the BJP on the Hindutva ideology.”
Okhla MLA Amanatullah said though he is disappointed with his government for playing into the hands of the BJP (read RSS), but naming a road in Okhla in protest is not the answer to the issue. “What he (Mr. Asif) has done is juvenile. Naming a random road in a Muslim-dominated area isn’t the solution,” said the first-time MLA. He said the road, which Mr. Asif has tried to name, does not even belong to the Delhi government though it pays for its maintenance. “The road belongs to Uttar Pradesh’s Flood and Irrigation Department. We pay them for the maintenance as they are not concerned.”
Terming the attempt to name the road after the Mughal emperor “illegal and void”, the MLA said it is just an attempt to gain political mileage from the issue. “It cannot be named by just hanging boards. There is a proper procedure for road naming/renaming. The Uttar Pradesh government will have to clear the proposal to name/rename any road. By doing this, Mr Asif has sent a wrong message.”
Residents in the area said the former MLA’s move to name the road in Okhla is disturbing. “The government is trying to tell us that ‘we will decide the good and the bad Muslims’,” a resident told The Hindu .
Mr. Asif, meanwhile, has worked out the plan to ensure that the road in Okhla is called ‘Aurangzeb’. “We will put up 10 more boards by Wednesday night.”
