Guardian minister of Mumbai Suburban District, Mangal Prabhat Lodha, on Friday said the name of Tipu Sultan, the ruler of the erstwhile kingdom of Mysore, has been removed from a garden in Malad West area of the city.
The garden was so named during the previous Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government and the nomenclature was opposed by the BJP, which was then in the Opposition.
Sharing the news on Twitter on Friday, Lodha, who is Maharashtra's minister for Tourism, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and Women and Child Development, posted, "Finally, the movement is successful. Keeping in mind the movement of the Hindu community against the MVA government last year and the demand put forward by (BJP) MP Gopal Shetty at the district planning committee meeting, we have issued an order to remove Tipu Sultan's name from the park in Malad. The park was named after Tipu Sultan during MVA's tenure."
On January 26, last year, BJP leaders led by Shetty and Lodha, organised a massive protest demanding that the name of the garden be changed.
Speaking to ANI, MP Lodha said, "A few days ago, a meeting of the District Planning Authority was convened. At that meeting, local MP Gopal Shetty demanded the removal of Tipu Sultan's name from the garden located in the Malad West area. I ordered the District Collector to remove Tipu Sultan's name from the garden at the meeting. The order has now been complied with as Tipu Sultan has been removed from the garden's name. The order was implemented in a peaceful manner without any police deployment. The locals, too, extended their full cooperation. At present, we don't have any proposed names for the garden but in upcoming meetings, proposals will be mooted and we will decide on a new name."
Last year, then guardian minister of Mumbai and Congress leader Aslam Shaikh inaugurated the garden named after the 18th-century Mysore ruler. The move saw BJP leaders erupting in protest.
Opposing the move, BJP MLA Atul Bhatkhalkar had said last year, "The Shiv Sena practises fake Hindutva. We will oppose this inauguration by organising a dharna with other BJP leaders. We promise to remane this garden after Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj if we come to power at the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC)."
( With inputs from ANI )
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