CHENNAI: Is it EVR Periyar Salai or the Grand Western Trunk Road? A board put up by the Highways department near the Chennai Central Metro station mentioning the latter rather than the former has sparked a controversy with opposition parties slamming the move.
The road, previously known as Poonamalle High Road, was renamed EVR Periyar Salai in 1979 by then Chief Minister M G Ramachandran during the Periyar centenary celebrations.
With DMK chief MK Stalin and other opposition leaders demanding the name board be changed, officials from the State Highways department reportedly painted over the name 'Grand Western Trunk Road' in black on Tuesday evening.
When contacted, an official from the department said that records had always shown the road's name as Grand Western Trunk Road and that is why the board bore the name.
Earlier, in a statement, Stalin asked who had given the government the orders to change the name of the road. “Is this a deed of anti-Periyarists? We urge immediate action. If not, orders will be passed after May 2," he said, implying that the DMK would form a government after counting of votes cast in the Assembly polls.
Stalin recalled that it was AIADMK founder MGR who, as CM, had changed the road's name to Periyar EVR High Road. He pointed out that despite the change of governments over the past four decades, the name of the road had remained the same.
MDMK general secretary Vaiko also condemned the move and urged the Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami, who holds the Highways portfolio, to take action.
Speaking to The New Indian Express, Thanthai Periyar Dravidar Kazhagam (TPDK) general secretary K Ramakrishnan said that street name holds a lot of prominence and it is one of the important landmarks of the city.
While the DMK is an off-shoot of Periyar's Dravidar Kazhagam and the Dravidian movement. The AIADMK was formed by MGR after he left the DMK.