Mumbai: Condemning the British royal after whom the King Edward Memorial (KEM) Hospital is named, Maharashtra’s skill development minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha on Tuesday called him “King Kasab who looted India and killed lakhs of Indians” while explaining in the legislative council why he had proposed a change in name for the facility.KEM Hospital, named after King Edward VII, was founded in 1926 in memory of the British monarch who reigned from 1901 until his death in 1910. Lodha, who is also the Mumbai suburban guardian minister, did not refer to any specific period when he spoke about the deaths of countless Indians under British rule.The issue was raised in the council during question hour by Shiv Sena (UBT) MLC Milind Narvekar who asked why the state govt was not focusing on more vital issues such as lack of infrastructure at the hospital, pointing out that the Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors too had opposed the name change.He said King Edward had funded the setting up of the hospital during the plague epidemic. The hospital, he said, was globally respected and it was only for political reasons that a conspiracy had been hatched to change its name.“This will erase the hospital’s historic legacy. There is a lack of doctors, cleanliness. Instead of working on these issues, why is there a need felt to change the hospital’s name?” asked Narvekar. MLC Anil Parab said changing the name of KEM Hospital would risk changing its historic, global identity.Responding to the debate, minister Uday Samant said Lodha had written to the civic health committee to change the name and the committee had forwarded the proposal to the govt. Samant said issues such as the impact of name change on the degrees given to thousands of students will be studied. Samant said the govt has taken no decision on changing the name of KEM Hospital, adding that it would defer to the views of Mumbaikars.Shiv Sena (UBT) MLC Sachin Ahir asked why the names of other nearby buildings such as World One and Trump Tower were not being changed while BJP group leader Pravin Darekar said the govt should not wade into the name change controversy but instead focus on providing better medical facilities and a guest house for patients visiting KEM hospital for treatment. “If required, this facility can be given the name that has been proposed,” he said. BJP MLC Prasad Lad proposed a guest house be built for patients at KEM as part of the nearby Abhyudaya Nagar redevelopment project.MLC Bachchu Kadu argued that “there must be a policy on this issue. What Congress allowed for 75 years should not be allowed to continue.”The House had then moved to other business when Lodha sought to make a statement which was disallowed by council chairman Ram Shinde. However, he persisted saying he was at the hospital for a function when he was asked to propose the name change and he had proposed three names. “They said King Edward gave money. This is absolutely false. King Edward did not give any money. King Edward looted India and took it to England. King Edward was King Kasab. He killed lakhs of Indians,” he said.
