BJP would aim to change Hyderabad's name it elected in Telangana: party leader

The BJP would "aim" to rename Hyderabad and other cities in the state after the names of great people if it is elected to power in Telangana in the December 7 poll, party leader Raja Singh said Thursday.

"Our aim is, when our Bharatiya Janata Party government comes to power in Telangana, our first (priority) is development, second is these names should be changed. They should be named after great people, those who worked for our nation, righteousness and Telangana," he told PTI.

Singh, who was a member of the recently-dissolved legislative assembly, said the Qutb Shahis, who ruled the region during the 16th century, had changed the name of the city, Bhagyanagar, to Hyderabad.

They had also changed the names of other places, he said, adding Secunderabad and Karimnagar were among them.

Singh also found fault with AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi's comments earlier Thursday that BJP president Amit Shah wants a "Muslim-free" India.

He said Muslims should not believe Owaisi, who had often spoken against Telangana.

Owaisi is Lok Sabha member from Hyderabad.

Telangana goes to polls on December 7.