Samajwadi Party national general secretary Ramgopal Yadav on Thursday hinted that the party would restore districts their original name once it returned to power. This was in context to new names that the Mayawati government gave to Amethi and Kanpur Dehat.
"Such things are not
permanent," he said when newspersons sought his comment on the name change. He was addressing a press conference on preparation for July 5 nationwide strike against price rise.
Mayawati government early in the day announced new name 'Shri Shahuji Maharaj Nagar' for Amethi district and 'Ramabai Nagar' for Kanpur Dehat district.
He said that Mayawati government in past three years did not do anything except building stone monuments, creating districts and changing their names, and trying to project only a section of people as great personalities.
"Anyways changing names of districts in this manner is irrelevant. How many people know Hathras as Mahamaya Nagar or Kasganj as Kanshiram Nagar?," said Ramgopal.
He said that the party was preparing extensively for the July 5 strike call. It has put each district under supervision of two senior leaders each so that the protest was organised well statewide.
He recited one of the slogans meant for the strike day, which meant that any government that fails to contain prices must go. But when asked that it was on April 27 too that the SP had observed nationwide strike against the central government over price rise, and on the same day it supported the UPA government on the floor of the Parliament. He replied: "We supported the UPA because they country would face bigger problem if a government barely a year old falls. Apart from this, if the government falls, then the President would invite the second biggest party to form the government-which means Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). And we would not like such a thing to happen."
He said that the nationwide strike's main objective is to highlight the problems faced by the majority of the people and force the government to change its stance towards the issue.