(Ahmedabad Newsline
June 23, 2006)
BJP on renaming bridges drive
To rechristen two bridges named during Congress regime
Express News Service
Ahmedabad, June 22: The civic standing committee on Thursday steamrolled its decision to change names given to two bridges during the Congress regime. On their part, Congress registered a token opposition to the proposal brought on the urgent agenda by BJP member Rakesh Shah, who represents Paldi ward.
The Shreyas crossing rail overbridge which was named after late mayor Rafiuddin Shaikh, has been renamed as Vasant Gajendragadkar Bridge. Also, the bridge on the Sabarmati river linking Anjali cinema junction with Behrampura on the eastern bank, has been renamed as Dr B R Ambedkar Bridge. It was named during the Congress rule as the Narsinh Makwana Bridge at the time of laying the foundation at Behrampura end.
Opposition member Taufiq Khan objected to the renaming of these bridges but the argument was blunted at least in the case of river bridge naming. The BJP asked the Opposition if it was against Ambedkar being associated with the bridge and insisted on Makwana’s name, a mere follower of Ambedkar.
It may be noted that when the Congress had named the Shreyas crossing after late Rafiuddin Shaikh, a storm of protests was raised by the BJP which was then in opposition in the AMC.
The BJP through its workers had then proposed to name it after late Babubhai Vasanwala, a prominent Jain community leader and MLA from Ellisbridge who went on to become health minister in Chimanbhai Patel’s time. The argument then was that since the area has good concentration of Jain community, it was okay to have the bridge named after him. But now when Mayor Amit Shah is at the helm, Vasanwala has been conveniently forgotten to make way for Gajendragadkar, it is felt.
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