BJP's ally in UP slams campaign to rename cities

The Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP), a constituent of the coalition government in Uttar Pradesh led by the Bharatiya Janata Party, on Saturday slammed the BJP's campaign to rename cities as a "drama" aimed at diverting the attention of the people from the real issues.

The Uttar Pradesh government recently changed the names of the Mughalsarai railway junction, Allahabad and Faizabad districts.

"Whenever serious issues like the rights of the backward classes are raised, the BJP comes up with such ideas to fool the people," SBSP chief Om Prakash Rajbhar said.

Rajbhar, who is the Minister of the Department of Backward Classes Welfare and the Department of Disabled People Development, also questioned the delay in the division of reservation by the Chief Minister despite the report of the Other Backward Castes Social Justice Committee.

"By changing the names of districts and cities, will the poor get rich, the marginalised get justice," Rajbhar asked.

He said that the Muslim rulers had played a significant role in the state and indeed the country, and wondered if people should stop using the GT road or stop visiting the Taj Mahal and the Red Fort.

The SBSP chief also said that the BJP should first change the names of their Muslim leaders like Shahnawaz Hussain, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Mohsin Raza.

The Uttar Pradesh government recently changed the name of Allahabad to Prayagraj, and Faizabad to Ayodhya. This is being seen as an attempt by the BJP to consolidate the Hindus ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

--IANS

md/shs/bg