Current affairs

'Change it now or we will change after May 2': MK Stalin's warning to the ADMK Govt!

By alagu, 13 April, 2021
ADMK, DMK, Tamilnadu, Chennai

The Tamil Nadu state government is steering through the massive outrage from the opposition parties as the sequel of the sudden change of the name of one of the crucial roads that was named after Dravidian stalwart Periyar. The opposition parties have expressed skepticism over the sudden change and slammed the state government for acting on someone's behest. 

DMK President MK Stalin had strongly castigated the state highways department and asked who has given the order to change the name. According to reports, EVR Periyar Salai is a stretch of road between Chennai Central Railway station to Poonamallee and it is one of the busiest stretches in the city witnessing large-scale movements. The Highways Department had erected boards by mentioning Periyar Salai as Grand Western Trunk Road.

The boards denote the directions of vicinities including Koyambedu, Secretariat, Nehru Stadium, and Parry's Corner. The bid of renaming the road by removing Periyar's name had shocked the Dravidian followers and opposition parties. The incident had come to light when several social media users widely shared the board with the new name. The development has come a week after the Tamil Nadu assembly polls and it had stirred massive outrage. 

Dravidar Kazhagam Chief Veeramani was the first in line of leaders to issue condemnation to the state government. In his statement, Veeramani said, "Then Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MG Ramachandran had celebrated Periyar's 100th birth anniversary for a whole year and he had accepted the demand from the people to name Poonamalee Highways after Periyar in 1979.  He passed the order of naming the highways after Periyar. Now, the ADMK government has changed the name, and why they have changed it?"

Veeramani asked, "Who is that the government is trying to satisfy by changing the name, what's the background, and who's responsible?". By condemning the act, Veeramani demanded the government to name the road after Periyar and he further said that there would be a massive agitation if the government fails to change the name. The incident had quickly drawn huge attention with several Periayarists and activists urging the government to relinquish the attempt of changing the name. 

After the incident had sparked controversy, the Tamil Nadu Highways Department has issued a statement in which it had advocated for Grand Western Trunk Road. The department has maintained, "The name of Chennai Grand Western Trunk Road wasn't changed. The road is being called Grand Western Trunk Road since British rule and the Greater Chennai Corporation also calls it Periyar Road. However, the road is named as Grand Western Trunk Road in the Tamil Nadu government's register". 

However, the statement from the Highways Department had fueled the tensions with several leaders are strong reacting to it. DMK President Stalin had issued a warning note to the ruling government asking it to change the name now. In his statement that he released on social media, Stalin said, "Then Chief Minister MGR had named the road after Periyar during the latter's centenary anniversary. For over 40 years, there were several governments in the state but the same was never changed."

Stalin stated, "Now, the Highways Department has erected the board by naming the road as Grand Western Trunk Road and it has also indicated in its website about the name change, which is condemnable. While the ADMK regime is counting its days, where it got the order from? Is the current ruling ADMK is bowing down to the Central BJP in a fashion that it changes the name kept by the party's founder MGR? Or is it the work of sectarianism elements who are frightened to hear the name of Periyar?"

Stalin added, "Change it (name) now, immediately. If any delay, a government order will be released after May 2". He referred that he would form a new government in the state and his government will pass a new order to name the road after Periyar. Some of the latest visuals had shown that the name has gone black. 
 

 

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