Social Democratic Party of India, (SDPI), has expressed deep anguish and dismay over the renaming of Aurangzeb Road in Delhi to Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam and termed it as incorrect, illegal and unfortunate.
SDPI’s Delhi Pradesh president Adv. Aslam Ahmed said neither any Islamic scholar was consulted nor any public debate was conducted before renaming the road. The move ostensibly demonstrates that it is aimed at maligning Aurangzeb and it is saffron union’s “good Muslim, bad Muslim” view of the minority community. Such a decision sends out a historically inaccurate message to the world.
Adv. Aslam in a statement said, it is ironical that a road is being renamed which is associated with history. The intention reflects warped view of the Indian history, wherein Aurangzeb is viewed as a cruel ruler which is far from truth. On the stand which articulates Aurangzeb as a cruel ruler, he said, Aurangzeb, the Mughal Emperor who embraced simplicity, made a living out of stitching skull caps and scripting of the Holy Quran, although he presided over the largest empire in the Indian history with highest revenue earnings in the world.
He said unquestionably Dr. Kalam is an example of love and generosity and that naming a road after the popular late president’s name must be considered but not at the expense of the Aurangzeb Road. Why just a road, let the Govt. serve the late president better by building a scientific institute in his name, retorted Aslam.
Adv. Aslam urged the NDMC to revoke the decision forthwith and appealed that a new road or institution be named after Dr. Kalam.