A controversy has erupted over a newly-built fish market in the Nanpura-Lakkadkot area of Surat being named after Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the local civic body maintaining that the official naming process of the complex was yet to be completed.
The dispute was triggered by the installation of a large signboard reading ‘Shri Narendra Modi Wholesale Fish Market’ at the main entrance, which features a photo of the Prime Minister placed in a corner of the hoarding. The presence of the board has raised immediate questions regarding who authorised the installation, as official budget documents from the Surat Municipal Corporation list the project simply as a local fish market without any reference to the Prime Minister. The naming choice has drawn strong objections from local fish merchant Surendra Laskari, who questioned the appropriateness of using the Prime Minister’s name for a wholesale seafood facility. Speaking on behalf of the local Kahar-Machi community, Laskari pointed out that Prime Minister Modi is known to be a vegetarian, making the association with a fish market unsuitable. He further alleged that the board was installed unilaterally by Kalpesh Navsariwala, president of the Surat Fish Merchant Association, and urged authorities to name the municipal property after the traditional fishing community instead to avoid dragging the Prime Minister’s name into unnecessary debate.
It was built at a cost of Rs 3.90 crore.
Association President Kalpesh Navsariwala defended the installation, stating that the name serves as a mark of respect for the Prime Minister’s policy initiatives supporting the seafood and fishing sector. He highlighted the creation of a dedicated fisheries ministry and central schemes like the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana as reasons for the gesture.
