BJP leader on why he feels Shahjahan Road must be renamed

If you look back at history, you will find that Shahjahan was a symbol of lust and cruelty. He was a ruler who was known to be frivolous. However, my proposal of changing the name of Shahjahan Road to one after Dashrath Manjhi is premised on the fact that "Mountain Man" Manjhi is the symbol of devotion, determination and dedication. Being a tribal, he showed exceptional strength in breaking a mountain to carve out a road.

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) lies on the Shahjahan Road. Young IAS and IPS aspirants visit the road daily. It also connects the India Gate and is used by lakhs of tourists and commuters daily. My point is that renaming the road after a motivational figure will boost the morale of hundreds of young IAS aspirants. They will get the strength to face all odds.

There shouldn't only be a change in the name of the road, there should also be a statue to commemorate the "Mountain Man", as I have proposed in my letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Earlier, when I was campaigning for the Anti Corruption Bill in 2007, I had the good fortune of meeting Manjhi and saw for myself that he was a symbol of simplicity and perseverance.

Why do we have symbols of slavery while ignoring symbols of our freedom struggle in public places? Agreed, Shahjahan is remembered for building the Taj Mahal, but if he truly loved his wife Mumtaz, why did he remarry?

My claims of Shahjahan being a lascivious king aren't baseless. Historians like JN Sarkar and RC Majumdar, who have no political leanings, have deeply studied the Mughal ruler and have mentioned the same. Only historians with an agenda distort facts. I have no issues with a road named after Annie Besant but there is no need to name a road after the Lodhis, who according to me, made no contribution to the nation.

(As told to Ursila Ali.)