The BJP-led Palakkad Municipality is moving to rename Jinnah Street in the city after Chettur Sankaran Nair, a former National President of the Indian National Congress (INC). The move comes just days after Pahalgam terror attack and a heated council meeting witnessed intense opposition protests against the naming of a new Skill Development Center after RSS founder Dr. K.B. Hedgewar. These twin developments have sparked political tensions in the district, underscoring the deep ideological divide between the BJP and opposition parties.
The resolution to rename Jinnah Street, stretching from Manjakulam Road to Vidhuni near Valiyangadi, was submitted by BJP councillors through an urgent resolution notice. They argued that Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan, is a divisive historical figure whose name has no place in Indian public spaces, especially in light of recent attacks like the one in Pahalgam. The BJP has proposed renaming the stretch after Chettur Sankaran Nair 1857–1931) who was a distinguished Indian lawyer and nationalist who served as the President of the Indian National Congress (INC) in 1897.
“The name of Jinnah is a symbol of partition, pain, and religious division. It should be removed from Palakkad,” the resolution reads. The matter will be taken up in the next council session.
The move comes in the immediate aftermath of chaos during the previous municipal council meeting, where the BJP used its majority to pass a resolution naming a new Skill Development Center after Hedgewar. Congress-led UDF and CPI(M)-led LDF councillors vehemently opposed the decision, calling it politically driven and ideologically provocative.The meeting descended into disorder, with opposition members holding placards, shouting slogans, and clashing with BJP councillors. Microphones were damaged during the altercation, and the Municipal Chairperson had to be escorted out of the hall. CPI(M) workers held protests outside the council building, while opposition councillors waved black flags outside the chairperson’s office.
April 24 marked the 91st death anniversary of Chettur Sankaran Nair. The BJP took the opportunity to observe Nair’s memorial day, following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent reference in the mann- ki baat about the freedom fighter, which reignited national interest in his legacy. Modi’s mention catalyzed renewed political attention and prompted a symbolic reclaiming of Nair’s contributions to India’s independence movement.
On that day, BJP national executive member PK Krishnadas addressed a public gathering, praising Nair’s unwavering patriotism. “He was a fearless patriot who spoke out against the British after the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, even while serving on the viceroy’s executive council. Although he served as AICC chief, it is unfortunate that the Congress today does not value his contributions,” Krishnadas remarked.
This observance, coinciding with the BJP’s proposal to rename Jinnah Street in Palakkad, reflects the party’s political commitment to emphasize nationalist figures like Nair, while creating a sharper ideological contrast with the opposition, particularly the Congress.
However, now in a twist of political complexity, the Congress party, previously vocal in its opposition to naming the center after Hedgewar, finds itself in a deadlock over whether to support or oppose the BJP’s proposal to replace Jinnah’s name with that of Chettur Sankaran Nair, a former Congress icon.
