Several online petitions have described the NDMC’s decision to rename Aurangzeb Road as incorrect and unfortunate.
These petitions have compared the move to the demolition of Babri Masjid in Ayodhya in 1992.
One petitioner is Yousuf Saeed, who has reportedly written letters to Delhi chief minister, Arvind Kejriwal, and Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, explaining how this decision will be viewed by public at large.
“To many of us, this renaming is symbolically as incorrect and unfortunate as the 1992 demolition of the Babri mosque in Ayodhya, since that was also done on ‘public demand’ and to ‘correct the wrongs of history’,” he was quoted by Indian Express as saying.
Saeed, who’s also an independent film-maker and researcher in Delhi is not alone complaining about this move.
“Do we want our future generations to remember that the name of one ‘bad’ Muslim was replaced by a ‘good’ Muslim? Is that the kind of history we want to propagate in this country,” reads the petition, appealing that a new road or institution be named after Dr Kalam and the name of Aurangzeb Road be left unchanged.”
In another petition, In another petition, Citizens For Democracy too has described the decision as “totally wrong” stating that “the decision taken by the NDMC is totally illegal, arbitrary, malafide, unjustified and void…”
NDMC on Friday had announced it was changing the name of Aurangzeb Road to APJ Abdul Kalam Road. Kejriwal was among the first few to congratulate the municipal body for its decision.
Since then, the social media has been abuzz with differing views with liberals opposing the move while those known for their allegiance to BJP and RSS rejoicing.
Following are the snapshots of how the conversation is taking place on social media:
BJP supporter Nandita Thakur wrote;
Anchor of on debate on Aurangzeb road agreed if killed many Hindus but you can't deny he was ruler, you are trying to change history
— नंदिता ठाकुर (@nanditathhakur) August 30, 2015
RSS-leaning Swapan Dasgupta said;
Since popular memory is neatly classified into the Good, Bad & Ugly, I am glad Aurangzeb has been removed from the official list of Good.
— Swapan Dasgupta (@swapan55) August 29, 2015
Aurangzeb Road will now be called APJ Abdul Kalam Road. Welcome move!!
Special Thanks to @MaheishGirri ji for his efforts.— Priti Gandhi (@MrsGandhi) August 28, 2015
User Gaurav Sawant’s tweet on this subject was widely appreciated by right-wing leaning social media users.
ISIS beheads today. Aurangzeb beheaded then. Wondering if Delhi will 1 day have Abu Bakr Al Baghdadi road to prove it's secular credentials
— GAURAV C SAWANT (@gauravcsawant) August 29, 2015
Activist Tehseen Poonawalla’s tweet said;
For the record dear #Bhakts – #Aurangzeb was not an invader but very much born in #India in Gujarat. He was v much Indian like @narendramodi
— Tehseen Poonawalla (@tehseenp) August 28, 2015