Yogi may rename Allahabad as 'Prayagraj' ahead of Kumbh Mela; Oppn fumes

Today's rulers were trying to show that they are working by just changing the name of Allahabad, said Akhilesh

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has given a clear indication that if a broad consensus is achieved, 'Allahabad will be renamed as Prayagraj'. 

"It might be the wish of many people that Allahabad can be renamed as Prayagraj. I think that it will give a very good message. If everyone agrees, we should know this city as Prayag Raj and it can be a good start", Yogi added.

According to some media reports, the banners for the upcoming Kumbh Mela in 2019 mention the name of the city as Prayagraj instead of Allahabad. 

Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government might rechristen Allahabad as Prayagraj before next year's Kumbh Mela, the mega spiritual gathering. Kumbh Mela will begin in Allahabad on January 15, 2019.

The iconic city of Uttar Pradesh, Allahabad, was named by 16th Century Mughal emperor Akbar, who renamed it after founding a fort near the confluence of the Ganga and the Yamuna, known as Sangam. The emperor named the fort and its neighbourhood as AIlahabad. Later, his grandson Shah Jahan renamed the entire city as Allahabad. But the area near the Sangam, site of the Kumbh Mela, continues to be called as "Prayag".

Samajwadi Party supremo Akhilesh Yadav on Monday attacked the Yogi Adityanath government's proposed move to rename Allahabad as Prayagraj, stating that the present dispensation wanted to show their work only by "renaming".

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath during his visit to Allahabad on Saturday had announced that there was a proposal to rename the city as Prayagraj ahead of the 2019 Kumbh Mela.

In a Twitter post on Monday, Yadav said today's rulers were trying to show that they are working by just changing the name of Allahabad.

"... They have even re-named Ardh Kumbh to Kumbh. This is toying with tradition and belief," the former UP CM tweeted.

However, reacting to Yadav, Energy Minister and government spokesperson Shrikant Sharma claimed that the beliefs of people were hurt when the city was named Allahabad.

"Some people are objecting to renaming Allahabad as Prayagraj. The objections are baseless. It is the right of the government to rename any city. If needed, we will rename more cities and roads. The mistakes done earlier will be rectified," he said.

UP Governor Ram Naik had already supported the demands of the saints and the people of the Sangam city, he had said.

"The government will soon send a proposal to the Centre to change the name of the city," the CM had said.