Click to play videoThe Bandra-Worli Sea Link was inaugurated on Tuesday and what was supposed to be Mumbai's pride has turned into a political logjam of sorts. NCP leader Sharad Pawar suggested that the link be named after late prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, but the Shiv Sena has protested over this and has demanded the bridge be named after Veer Savarkar, even carrying out a protest on Wednesday. Should the Mumbai sea link be named the Rajiv Gandhi Sethu? To try and answer this question, Shiv Sena MP Bharat Kumar Raut and Congress Spokesperson Anant Gadgil joined CNN-IBN on India At 9.
CNN-IBN: The Shiv Sena has raised the name issue but was it really necessary. Why not focus on whether the bridge will really ease Mumbai's traffic worries? Today there are commuters stranded. Why don't you focus on their worries instead of focusing on the name of a bridge. Why this obsession?
Bharat Kumar Raut: See it's not a question of obsession or politics. It is the issue of the asmita (pride) of the Marathi Manus of local people.
CNN-IBN: Does the bridge belong to the Shiv Sena or the people of India? Who does it belong to? Surely, people have the right to decide the name. It is not about Marathi asmita.
Bharat Kumar Raut: It is the asmita of the local people and all those who believe in the freedom struggle, those who laid down their lives for freedom. Veer Savarkar is a Mumbaikar and he has a very strong, emotional bonding with the sea in Mumbai. So all Mumbaikars feel it would have been fitting for the government to name the bridge after Veer Savarkar.
CNN-IBN: Mr Raut if you take a reality check as CNN-IBN did, speaking to the common Mumbaikar, the fact remains that the Shiv Sena is concentrating on a non-issue. Why not talk about the cost over-run, that the bridge cost much more than what was originally envisaged. It cost more than Rs 1,600 crore. Why not talk about the fact that the bridge is elitist and it costs Rs 50 to cross the bridge. Why not concentrate on the issues of the Mumbaikar?
Bharat Kumar Raut: I think you are deviating the issue. We were talking about the naming of the bridge and that is why I was talking about Veer Savarkar. Definitely, the Shiv Sena is concerned about the other problems. You will find that the Shiv Sena is very concerned about the delay in the construction of the bridge, over the expanding costs and traffic jams if you check records in the legislative Assembly.
CNN-IBN: Mr Gadgil, what is the obsession with naming virtually everything after some member of the Gandhi family? Mayawati built statues in her name and Kanshi Ram and B R Ambedkar and the Congress party goes across the country naming institutions either after Rajiv Gandhi or after Indira Gandhi.
Anant Gadgil: Let me first point out that late Rajiv Gandhi ji was a symbol of development. He brought about a revolution in telecommuications and the technological sector. This bridge is a technological marvel so there is nothing wrong that it be named after him.
CNN-IBN: But there are so many technological marvels that have already been named after him.
Anant Gadgil: Let me point out that in Mumbai there is only one statue of Rajiv Gandhi, there is no major institute or monument named after him in that city. Rajiv Gandhi was born in Mumbai too and I don't see anything wrong in naming the bridge after him.
CNN-IBN: Exasperated Mumbaikars would tell you why name bridges, technological marvels, what have you after politicians? Is this a soft launch before the elections to claim credit for having built this?
Anant Gadgil: No, it has got nothing to do with elections nor taking any credit, this is just showing respect to late Rajiv Gandhi ji.
CNN-IBN: Connaught Place in Delhi was named Rajiv Chowk but most people in Delhi still call it Connaught Place. In the same way, most people will call the bridge in Mumbai the Bandra-Worli Sea Link. Why don't the Congress and Shiv Sena now get together and try and ease Mumbai's traffic worries by looking at logistical problems rather than a naming controversy? Let the people decide what the bridge should be called. You can't decide for the people of Mumbai what it should be called.
Bharat Kumar Raut: Exactly, that is what I am saying. You throw it open to the people. If people have such an allergy to Veer Sarvarkar leave him aside. I am saying name the bridge in honour of all the police officers, jawans who laid their lives down to protect Mumbai on 26/11. Call this bridge Shaheed Setu. Why do you want Rajiv Gandhi everywhere?
CNN-IBN: Anant Gadgil, are you willing to reconsider it?
Anant Gadgil: There is already a street that exists which runs from Prabha Devi to Mahim which is called Savarkar Marg, there is a Savarkar memorial just across Shivaji Park. Also, when in 1985 Rajiv Gandhi visited Dharavi slum, he saw the problems there and he sanctioned Rs 100 crore for the Dharavi Project. This was called Rajiv Gandhi Nivara Prakalp. The BJP-Sena government came in Maharashtra and changed the name to SRA, then Shiv Shahi Prakalp, so during their government in the state, the name of Rajiv Gandhi was removed from everywhere.
(For updates you can share with your friends, follow IBNLive on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest)
More on IBNLive Right Now
MOST SHARED
PHOTOGALLERY
