Agartala: Tripura Transport Minister Sushanta Chowdhury defended the state government’s decision to rename the Agartala Town Hall after Shyama Prasad Mookerjee, calling it a long-standing demand of the BJP and not a unilateral decision by the Chief Minister.
Speaking to the press at the BJP headquarters, Chowdhury said, “The government held thorough discussions and considered the views of all stakeholders before taking this decision. The opposition is misleading the public by portraying it as a one-sided move.”
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He accused CPIM leader Jitendra Chaudhury of opposing the renaming and stated, “Many town halls around the world bear the names of eminent personalities.” This is not unprecedented.”
Referring to the history of the building, Chowdhury added that the royal family had provided the land for the Town Hall, yet the former CPIM government neither acknowledged the royal legacy nor preserved historical structures.
He further justified the renaming, saying, “Shyama Prasad Mookerjee gave his life for India’s unity.
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In Tripura, the government has named several public buildings and institutions after Left leaders and even foreign figures like Marx and Engels. So why can’t we honor a nationalist leader?
Examples cited included Dasarath Deb Stadium, Kamalpur Hospital (named after Bimal Sinha), and Kailashahar College (named after Baidyanath Majumder).
“The name Town Hall is not being erased. We are simply prefixing it with SP Mookerjee’s name,” Chowdhury clarified.
Addressing Tipra Motha MLA Ranjit Debbarma’s criticism, he said, “The BJP has recognized Kokborok place names and honored Maharaja Bir Bikram. This step is in the same spirit, honoring national icons, not political opportunism.”
Agartala Mayor Dipak Majumder also backed the move, stating, “There’s no rule against naming public infrastructure after national figures. Unlike the CPIM, which named assets after divisive figures, we’re honoring someone who stood for national integrity.”