Ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lawmaker Pragya Singh Thakur has written to Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and requested him to rename half a dozen localities in Bhopal as per her promise to voters in her Lok Sabha constituency. “I promised my people that I will remove the blot... Some invaders came to India to destroy our rich culture and tradition. They distorted our history and changed the name of cities and other places,” she wrote.
Thakur’s office said her request includes renaming Islampura as Jagdishpura, Idgah as Guru Nanak Tekri, and Obaidullahganj, a town near Bhopal, as Shivpur. Thakur has also sought the renaming of Bhopal’s Habibganj Railway Station after late former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
“For generations, we never raised our voices against this suppression. But now I have decided to change the names of places which bring back only bad memories…. The names like Lalghati, which is named after a bloody war, and Halali Dam, which again embraces the idea of mass killing, should be changed immediately,” said Thakur.”
Also Read | Madhya Pradesh says no admission for students facing criminal charges
BJP legislator Rameshwar Sharma, who has echoed Thakur’s demand and has been visiting these localities and telling people to use the new names, said they did not need the government’s approval for renaming them. “Did the invaders take our permission before changing the name of our cities and why do we need any. We are renaming the places according to sentiments of local people.”
{{/usCountry}}BJP legislator Rameshwar Sharma, who has echoed Thakur’s demand and has been visiting these localities and telling people to use the new names, said they did not need the government’s approval for renaming them. “Did the invaders take our permission before changing the name of our cities and why do we need any. We are renaming the places according to sentiments of local people.”
{{/usCountry}}Congress legislator Arif Masood, who represents Bhopal Central in the assembly, said if they want to change names because of bad memories, then maybe they should start with the name of Kurukshetra first where thousands of people died in a war. He called the demand for renaming places “petty politics” to divert attention from the real issues including deaths due to Covid 19 and poor health infrastructure. Masood said they have asked the chief secretary to stop the renaming exercise that has been started.
State urban development minister OPS Bhadoria said a committee considers proposals to change names of places. “This committee follows the due processes and takes into account comments from experts and the public so that members of any community do not feel offended. Their voices will also be heard.”
BJP spokesperson Hitesh Bajpai said Thakur’s demand is harmless. “Everybody has the right to raise such a demand. Thakur won the (2019 Lok Sabha) election as people voted for her and now, she wants to rename some bad names. What is wrong with it? Who wants to live at a place called Lalghati, where invaders killed a son of Rani Kamlapati and covered the whole area with blood?”
Syed Anas Ali, who leads a forum dedicated to the promotion of the city’s heritage, said Thakur and Sharma were targeting places associated with a particular community. “This renaming should stop here otherwise young generation will never know about the real history of Bhopal.”