Ram politics back in focus: UP CM Yogi gives two places a new identity

Political players in other states have also readied their own white-ink pens, including the Shiv Sena in Maharashtra, which is known for its enthusiasm around renaming

Who: For Diwali this year, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath dressed up two places in his state in new names. He turned Faizabad district into “Ayodhya” district, just weeks after renaming the city of Allahabad “Prayagraj”. “Ayodhya is a symbol of our ‘aan, baan aur shaan’ (pride and glory)… Nobody can do injustice to Ayodhya,” he said at the recent Deepotsav event where the change was announced. He justified the decision — to replace labels given by Muslim conquerors with Hindu references — as a “restoration” of history. At the time of scrapping the name Allahabad, he stated: “Some