MUMBAI, June 24 -- Mumbai suburban guardian (associate) minister and BJP leader Mangal Prabhat Lodha on Tuesday likened King Edward VII, after whom the King Edward Memorial (KEM) Hospital is named, to Ajmal Kasab, the terrorist caught alive in the 26/11 attack on Mumbai. The minister said he condemned those who "supported" the British monarch, after he was attacked during Question Hour in the legislative council for his plan to rename KEM hospital to Kaushalya Eklavya Memorial Hospital. KEM alumni and doctors have opposed the move. The issue was raised by Shiv Sena (UBT) MLC Milind Narvekar, who said that while urban development department minister Eknath Shinde had claimed there was no decision taken on the renaming, he suspected that plans were being executed stealthily. Narvekar added that King Edward had constructed the massive hospital during a plague outbreak to help citizens. On the backfoot, Lodha replied that King Edward was not a matter of pride for India but a symbol of slavery. "The claim that King Edward contributed financially is completely misleading. Responsible for the deaths of lakhs of Indians, he was like Kasab," he said. Sena MLC Sachin Ahir, pointing out that even the Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors had opposed the name change, asked Lodha whether he would change the name of buildings developed by his firm, named One World or Trump Tower. The name 'Trump' was purely due to a business partnership and had no connection to any form of glorification, the builder-politician retorted. Lodha said that three alternative names had been proposed for KEM Hospital, and the government would take an appropriate decision. He clarified that whichever of the three options was selected, the abbreviation would remain 'KEM'. Replying to the question, minister Uday Samant said that Lodha's proposal was pending before the health committee. "There are many legal issues involved-for instance, all medical degrees so far have been given in the name of King Edward Memorial Hospital," he said. "The legal ramifications of a name change will have to be studied."...