Lt Colonel Niranjan's friend alleges politics at play in renaming main road after martyr
A controversy has erupted after the renaming of a Bengaluru road in the name of martyr Lt Colonel Niranjan EK. The road that was to be allotted to the martyr has been given to a freedom fighter instead.
In Short
- A Bengaluru road was to be named after martyr Lt Col Niranajan.
- Lt Col Niranajan died in the dastardly attack took place at Pathankot Air Force base.
- The road has instead been named after a freedom fighter.
It is almost a year and five months since the dastardly attack took place at the Pathankot Air Force base where Lt Colonel Niranjan EK, a Bengalurean, was martyred. The state government had, soon after, passed a resolution to rename the Doddbommasandra main road in Vidyaranyapura in his honour. But now a controversy has erupted because the road that was to be allotted to the martyr has been given to a freedom fighter instead.
This has not gone down well with this friends and well-wishers. Shashank, a childhood friend of the martyr told India Today that they want the government to stick to their promise and rename the Doddbommasandra main road only. In response to his RTI query on the delay, the BBMP told him that the file has been sent to the concerned authorities and it is in process. "When other governments have done so much in his honour, why is the state government over here least bothered," he questioned.
Seeking quick justice for the martyr, Shashank has written to the President of India, the Prime Minister and the Governor as well asking them to take action. However, KJ George, Bengaluru Development Minister said, "You must understand under what circumstances they have written the letter. Lt Col Niranjan's name was recommended, we have highest respect for him. That's why we passed the resolution to name a road after him." He further added, "We wanted to name a road after Niranjan, but this road was already named for a freedom fighter Pete Siddappa Tiruvu." The government now plans to rename another road in the martyr's honour.
In January this year, the Karnataka Aam Aadmi Party and residents of Vidyaranyapura had started an online petition to rename the road after Lt Col Niranjan EK. The petition on change.org read, "He laid down his life fighting terrorists in Pathankot. His family, friends and neighbours remember him as devoted to the Army and dedicated to his country. We want to keep this martyr's memory alive. Lt Col Niranjan grew up in Vidyaranyapura, Bengaluru, his family currently lives there. We request you to rename a prominent road "DoddaBommasandra" in the locality after him."
Also Read:
NSG names new auditorium after braveheart who lost life in Pathankot attack
Lt Col EK Niranjan was careless, says The Telegraph op-ed. Panned on internet
(With inputs from Ameena Khan)