“Mughal Stamp on Prestigious Places Unacceptable,” Says Party Chief Manish Sahni
Diplomat Correspondent
Jammu, (DD): The Jammu and Kashmir unit of Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) has called for the renaming of Mughal Road and Mughal Garden, arguing that the region should not carry remnants of Mughal rule. The party has demanded that Mughal Road, which connects Poonch and Rajouri to Kashmir, be renamed “Maharaja Gulab Singh Road” in honor of the Dogra dynasty’s founder. Similarly, they want Mughal Garden in Kashmir to be renamed “Maharishi Kashyap Garden”, acknowledging the sage believed to have founded Kashmir.
Leading the protest at Bari Brahmana on the Jammu-Pathankot highway, Shiv Sena state chief Manish Sahni stated, “Jammu and Kashmir was never under British rule, and even Mahmud Ghaznavi failed to conquer it. There are no Mughal descendants here, so why should we continue glorifying their legacy?” He emphasized that while Kashmiri Pandits are the descendants of Maharishi Kashyap, his historical contributions have been sidelined.
Sahni also cited recent renaming efforts in Delhi, where the Mughal Garden at Rashtrapati Bhavan was renamed “Amrit Udyan” and streets linked to Mughal rulers were changed. He urged Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to take immediate action on this demand and called on BJP leaders in J&K to clarify their stance on the issue.
Several party leaders and activists, including Vikas Bakshi, Raj Singh, Shashipal, Deep Kumar, and others, participated in the protest, holding placards with slogans such as “No More Mughal Symbols in J&K” and “Honor Our True Icons.”(DD)
