Tripura LoP opposes renaming of Agartala Town Hall, urges to reconsider decision

Tripura Leader of the Opposition Jitendra Chaudhury has strongly opposed the state government’s decision to rename the iconic Agartala Town Hall after Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee on Sunday. 

He urged Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha to reconsider the move, calling it inappropriate and disrespectful to the city’s heritage.

Chaudhury’s remarks came after Chief Minister Dr. Saha announced that the historic venue would be renamed in honour of Dr. Mukherjee, a founding member of the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Reacting sharply, the Opposition leader said, “If there is a need for new infrastructure, let the government secure central funds and build a new facility. Why rename a 40-year-old town hall that was built by demolishing the Red House of the Rajbari? This is an important landmark that carries the city’s history.”

He recalled that during the hall’s construction, there was once a proposal to name it after then-President R. Venkataraman. However, it was later decided to retain a neutral name, in line with other cities such as Kolkata and London, where town halls are named after the city itself.

“Renaming Agartala Town Hall after four decades is not a tribute—it is a denial of our tradition,” he said. “No senior citizen of Agartala will support this. It neither honours Dr. Mukherjee meaningfully nor respects the sentiment of the people.”

Calling the move politically motivated, Chaudhury demanded that the state government withdraw the decision and preserve the original name of the Agartala Town Hall.