Aruppukottai (Tamil Nadu), Oct 11 (PTI) Reacting to the controversy over name of the newly constructed 'G D Naidu Flyover' in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu on Saturday questioned
if the flyover was called 'GD flyover' dropping his famous caste surname will people know it has been named after the great scientist?
Speaking to reporters here, he also asked, "If that was his name, how else can it be called?"
"G D Naidu is one of the greatest scientists from India and a native of Coimbatore. Naming the flyover after him was a decision made to honour his legacy. But if we drop 'Naidu' and call it 'G D Flyover', how will people know that we are commemorating him?" Thennarasu asked.
He said opposition leaders, including Edappadi K Palaniswami, should stop politicising the issue and try to understand why Tamil Nadu's longest flyover that stretches over 10 km, was named after G D Naidu.
A few days before naming the flyover, Tamil Nadu government in an order dated October 6, had issued guidelines for removal of caste names in public infrastructure.
The government order stipulates that by October 14, a list should be prepared of all infrastructure that has caste-based names and that by October 24, after consultation with stakeholders, notifications regarding the name change should be published in the District Government Gazette.
Political parties claimed that the government is defeating its own order by naming the bridge with caste surname.
However, Thennarasu insisted that removal of caste names is the way forward for an egalitarian society and his government will do the needful as planned.
"Instances like G D Naidu's may arise when the intention is to honour eminent leaders who worked for the betterment of the society, for we have to refer to them as they are known. This should be understood from that perspective," he added.
Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu's Minister for Public Works, Highways and Minor Ports, E V Velu, who participated in the Gram Sabha meeting in Tiruvannamalai district on Saturday, changed two caste-based names to Thanthai Periyar Nagar and Ambedkar Nagar. PTI JR ADB
