West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Tuesday strongly supported the decision to rename Kolkata's Suhrawardy Avenue as Gopal Mukherjee Road. He said roads in the city should not carry the names of Mughals, Pathans, or British rulers, whom he described as oppressive.

Speaking in the state assembly during a discussion on the Governor's address, Adhikari defended the Kolkata Municipal Corporation's decision taken on June 20. The road, located in the Park Circus area, has been renamed after Gopal Mukherjee, who is remembered for taking up arms to protect Hindus during the 1946 communal riots known as the Great Calcutta Killings.

Expressing his support for the move, Adhikari said, “I don’t know who took the decision, but I fully support it. Bengal cannot have a road named after Suhrawardy.”

The issue sparked a debate in the assembly as members discussed the historical significance of the original name. Since the renaming was announced, several academics and leaders of the Trinamool Congress have argued that the road was not named after Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy, the last premier of undivided Bengal. Critics have long linked him to the 1946 Great Calcutta Killings. They claim the road was actually named after Sir Hassan Suhrawardy, a noted academic, art critic, and the first Muslim vice-chancellor of the University of Calcutta.

Leader of Opposition Ritabrata Banerjee questioned the decision to rename the road and alleged that history was being misrepresented. He pointed out that some historians believe the road was named not after Sir Hassan Suhrawardy but after his father, Ubaidullah Al Ubaidi Suhrawardy, who was a respected Muslim scholar. Banerjee raised this issue during his speech in the assembly.

Responding to the criticism, Adhikari said the presence of the Suhrawardy name on a major Kolkata Road was unacceptable. He stated, “Whenever I passed through the Park Circus seven-point crossing, I saw the name Suhrawardy written on a road. That name cannot be there. If you feel that there is someone like Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, a true patriot and nationalist, who needs to be honoured, give us the information, and we will consider it.”

The chief minister also addressed Banerjee's argument regarding Sir Hassan Suhrawardy. According to Adhikari, historical records show that Sir Hassan Suhrawardy received a knighthood after handing over freedom fighter Bina Das to British authorities. Bina Das had attempted to shoot Bengal Governor Sir Stanley Jackson during a University of Calcutta convocation in 1932.

Referring to this episode, Adhikari said, “You claimed the road was named after another Suhrawardy. I have also talked to people who reviewed historical records. The vice-chancellor was given knighthood because he handed Bina Das to the British. There will be no Mughal, Pathan or oppressive British names in Kolkata.”

The chief minister used the debate to reiterate his government's position on the naming of public spaces. He made it clear that the state administration does not support the continuation of names associated with Mughal rulers, Pathan figures, or British colonial authorities on roads and public places in Kolkata.

During his address, Adhikari also announced the formation of a committee that will examine future proposals related to the renaming of roads and public locations across the state. Padma Shri awardee Swami Pradiptananda will head the committee. It will review suggestions and make recommendations regarding the naming or renaming of public places.

The controversy over Suhrawardy Avenue has triggered a wider debate on history, heritage, and public memory in West Bengal. While supporters of the renaming view it as a correction of historical wrongs, critics argue that the move risks misrepresenting the historical figures associated with the original name. The discussion is expected to continue as the newly announced committee begins reviewing similar proposals in the future.